Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Fates Fulfilled: Book Three of the Eldritch Legacy by Katrina Strauss
Reviewed by Elise Logan
Title: Fates Fulfilled: Book Three of the Eldritch Legacy
Author: Katrina Strauss
Publisher: Aphrodite’s Apples
Genre: BDSM erotic fiction
Publication Date: 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
This is the third installment of Katrina Strauss’s Eldritch Legacy. The story takes place in the
First, this story is good enough to stand on its own, you do not need to have read the first two installments of the trilogy to read and enjoy this final installment. Though background from the first installments is useful, and certainly helps explain some of the dynamics of the story, it is not necessary. I always appreciate it when an author creates stories which stand alone – it is a sign that their world building, character, and plot are all excellent. Second, this is a very long read. At around 400 pages, you definitely get your money’s worth from this author! Third, this story is not for everyone. The overall plotting and character are excellent, but some of the scenes will not appeal to all readers. Primarily, the emphasis on sharps (well, truthfully, blade and blood play), may be too intense for some readers. I found the scenes with these elements well done and erotic, but the concept might be problematic for some readers.
Now, on to the story! It seems that the Eldritch clan has instituted a test. All children of the family must be cut from the family fold and prove themselves worthy – they must survive and flourish outside of the family for a year. The concept is really an interesting one – a twist on the classic idea of the Continental Year. In any case, our two Eldritch youngsters,
Early in their year, each meets a partner with whom they feel a strong connection. For
The background plot revolves around the mysterious disappearances of goth young people, and the whispers of dark ritual and power. As
However, as with previous offerings, the strength of the story lies in the characters. In this installment, there is a significant amount of internal dialogue from both Eldritch cousins, which gives a good bit of insight into the development of the characters. The characters are interesting and grow in meaningful ways over the course of the book. Strauss has a gift for creating little jewels of characters, not only in her main protagonists, but also in supporting characters. Brent,
There were a few things which kept this from being a perfect read for me. The first is that it was a bit dragging in the beginning with regards to the plot. So much character-building was going on, in two different stories, that the plot was lost for most of the first 150 pages. Indeed, there is enough story and characterization here for two books – but the plot overlaps and combines them. That is both blessing and curse. On the one hand, there is a lot of story and a lot of really good stuff to read. On the other hand, there is a lot of background that has to be built for these two stories, so it is a lot to get through for the reader. Also, some BDSM scenes felt a little forced, as if the author had a predetermined goal with the scene, but the dialogue and action were just a little out of synch with that goal (this is particularly true of the scene where Marissa pulls a switch and subs for a Dom in an underground club on her first invitation to the club).
This book is an excellent read. Ms. Strauss delivered on the promise of the characters and crafted an entertaining and engaging tale. I would strongly recommend this story to fans of more extreme play, and I would recommend them to anyone.
Title: Breaking Skye
Author: Eden Bradley
Format: Phaze Fetish HeatSheet eBook
ISBN 1-59426-906-8
Published by: Phaze
Reviewed by: Canice Brown-Porter
Score: 5 out of 5
Skye Ballard is ready to relinquish control of herself for one evening just to experience her darkest and deepest fantasies. She's sure she'll get it out of her system once-and-for-all, so she places a personal ad on bondage.com. What she didn't expect was Adam Dunne. Dominant extraordinaire. Or, at least that's how she perceived him. Without being overbearing, he took control of her during their initial meeting in a public cafe. And, he had done it with little fanfare. Adam Dunne was the epitome of domination.
So, why didn't she run? What had made her agree to more than one evening with him? She should have said no and high-tailed it out of there. But, instead, three nights later a cab dropped her off in front of his home as he had subtly commanded of her. Even as she knocked on his door, her brain screamed 'run'…until his masculine figure stood framed in the doorway.
WOW! Ms. Bradley has packed not only erotic physical action inside this short story but the emotional aspects as well. By the end of the book, I was wiping away tears. The beauty of the BDSM lifestyle just shines through in Ms. Bradley's writing skills. If you haven't read a story by this author, you need to immediately purchase anything she has published out there. If you are a lifestyler, you'll love this author. She knows what she's writing about and eloquence and technique are merged into poetic soul mates. Thank you, Ms. Bradley, for getting it right!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
For My Master By: Suz deMello
Title: For My Master
Author: Suz deMello
Publisher: Loose Id
ISBN: 978-1-59632-318-6
Score: 3 1/2 out of 5
Ross and Kathie head out for the mission of their lives. Kathie has to be his slave and Ross is her Master. It's all fun and games on the outside, yet both know that this is exactly how they wish it could be for the two of them. Before they can have their relationship however, they have a case that must be solved. There is no telling if they will make it out dead or alive, but neither is willing to put the experience behind them.
There isn't much I can say about For My Master. This is one book that didn't touch me and at times even irritated me. As a whole the idea isn't bad. However, half way through the book it began to lag for me. I felt the conflict resolution was a bit of a cop out. And then nothing was mentioned later about how it could have been that easy. If anything I felt as though Ms deMello tried to turn a complicated plot into something short and sweet. There are times when that works and there are times when it doesn't. This didn't work for me.
The action scenes in For My Master were very rigid, leaving little room for description. It was more of a telling than a showing of how the events occurred. Action scenes are difficult and I admire anyone that tries them. But, this did not do it for me. Another difficult part for me is the lack of descriptive words in general. There were a lot of was, were's across the book as a whole and it completely dragged me from the story. I feel if she was able to come up with such an action packed storyline she could have given us a more thorough story.
What I did like about the book was the sex scenes between Ross and Kathie. And the plot set up in the beginning. I enjoyed reading the tattoo scene, very erotic. I really enjoy what these two do for a living. That's why there is the 3 1/2. I'm indecisive about the book as a whole, because I enjoyed the first half but not the second.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Pure Sin Partners in Passion By Sahara Kelly & S.L. Carpenter
TITLE: Pure Sin Partners in Passion
AUTHOR: Sahara Kelly & S.L. Carpenter
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
ISBN #: 9781419908941
RELEASE DATE: Available Now
Reviewed By: Heidi
Rated 4 out of 5
Pure Sin is an interesting book. Although it does have some BDSM elements to it the protagonists are both brand new to the whole idea and therefore don’t participate in anymore then some restraining and some Dominance and submission. The authors have created an interesting idea and some wonderful characters that will remain in the memories of the readers. The story line has a good pace to it, and as a reader I found it interesting to see the two main characters changing as people and becoming more aware of the things they wanted from a relationship. This isn’t a BDSM book for people who are more used to the scene, rather it is a book more for those who are dipping their toes in the water and want to know what its about.
Overall I found this book quite easy to read, the flow is consistent and I did sympathise with the characters. I was a little disappointed that the authors didn’t explore the world of BDSM more but by exploring the different feelings of the characters they have created an intriguing book and one that I would recommend to people who are unused to BDSM and everything that it encompasses.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
A Change in RulesI wanted to let those of you know that are still waiting for reviews to be posted, that they are being worked on. However, reviews would go much more quickly if we had a print copy on hand. You are not required to do this, it just goes faster. Reviewers can only allot so much time to being in front of the computer and having a book in hand would help.
Thanks,
BDSM Reviews
About Me
Name::Miranda Heart
From::United States
THere are several that run various sites, so just ask one of those folks about themselves. :)
View my complete profile
Recent Entries
Archives
Author Links
Spare
Credits