Dance of Desire by Christopher Rice - Review

My monthly 1001 Dark Nights fix!

This year I made a few New Year’s resolutions.  One, as you might know was that I intended to experience a cocktail every month for the entire year – one that I had never experienced before.  I had every intention of sticking to it, I mean how hard could it be? Really?  It’s drinking.  But as is the way with all such promises, life and reality got in the way.  Cocktails are expensive!  The other was a promise to myself that I would review the monthly offering of the 1001 Dark Nights author.  They are steamy, romantic, sweet, and dark offerings so how hard could it be keeping that resolution either.  Hmmm.  I find that, as usual, I have been a little remiss in keeping my word, even if it was only to myself.  So reality is not a monthly offering but either a famine or a feast.

We’ve had the famine, so now the feast.  I’ve just posted one, now here is another.

This is only the second book I have read of Christopher Rice’s.  I loved the first.  I love this more.  Why I don’t own everything he’s ever written I don’t know.  Not enough time in the day I guess, but I’m determined to make him a regular in my growing kindle library.

Dance of Desire is the tragic story of death, of how it changed the course of history, changed the promise of young love to something taboo; forbidden.  Having to bury deep the burgeoning attraction they have only moments previously found for each other to become brother and sister has damned the promise of young loves fulfilment between family friends Amber and Caleb.

They are left angry, hurt and desperate.  They are forced into a life never anticipated and must accept it now as normality.  It seems to me, in their intention to honour Amber’s father in his decision to keep his friend’s teenage son safe, every moment of their lives from that point on was a futile dance of denial, and in that denial only obsession blossomed.  What might under other circumstance have been relegated to little more than teenage hormones - a first crush - through tragedy and longing became much, much more.

The story beneath Christopher’s pen, was a thing of beauty, his words flowing with empathy and feeling, his descriptive phases conjuring wonderful pictures in my mind, and the tragedy lightened with dashes of humour that had me laughing out loud even as my heart bleed for them.

Christopher Rice doesn’t just tell people’s stories he reveals their souls.

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Sydney Whyte

Rating Chart

«……………….A no goer

««……………Alright, but not a re-read

«««………..Liked it

««««…….Loved it

«««««…Amaze-balls – ticks all the boxes!!!

Z: A Demonica Underworld Novella by Larissa Ione - Review

My monthly 1001 Dark Nights fix!

I’ve had this book on my ‘to-read-list’ for a little while now - less than a month actually when I look back to see when I bought it, so not really that long - but when I’d come to the end of my MM bender, which honestly is never really over for me, it was this author that I headed straight for.  While I haven’t read every single one of her books I would consider myself a ‘Demonica’ addict if not a ‘Larissa Ione’ one, because I have read all of those associated with the world that she has created in this wonderful series.

As an intro back into the world of FM romance this one was an excellent starting point.  For one thing, I love that her females are not only a little vulnerable but are eminently sassy, dangerous and borderline evil (some of them anyway).  No simpering for an Ione heroine, and best of all most of them are far from virginal.  It is a pet hate of mine that women are portrayed often in romance as either pure and unsullied, or of singular or little experience if they’ve managed to do any of ‘it’ at all, while Mr Loverboy has basically had the privilege of being an all-out man-whore and gets a great big pat on the back for it.

Well, no problem here.  This is the norm turned on its head.  Vex is a sexy, mouthy, sassy soul-catcher and Z, a fallen angel imprisoned to the promise of fidelity to his previous love who fell and died thirty years ago.  It is her soul he is desperate to find.  And of course - cue fate - Vex finally brings her soul to him while trying to coerce Azagoth to save her own from a nasty piece of work escaping from Sheoul, who has been sucked into her and threatens to take her over.

It was great to immerse myself in the shenanigans of Sheoul-gra and Azagoth’s realm again.  I have loved and revisited its colourful characters on numerable occasions and this is another that I will definitely add to the revisit list.

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Sydney Whyte

Rating Chart

«……………….A no goer

««……………Alright, but not a re-read

«««………..Liked it

««««…….Loved it

«««««…Amaze-balls – ticks all the boxes!!!

Drago Star (Toy Soldiers Book 1) by J Johanis - Review

After having been directed to a blog post by Diverse reader featuring a number of authors who write dark erotic fiction, some of whom I have read previously, an excerpt from the short novel, Drago Star caught my attention.  This is the first in series, and as expected there were warnings everywhere – it is dark fiction; you are left in no doubt of what to expect.

Having read the book in one sitting, I put it down and thought “I don’t know what to think”.  That was six days ago and now that I have had time to mull it over, I shall call it a learning experience.  (Not only can reading garner entertainment, it can help us come to know ourselves.)

The original draw for me was the premise of a small human becoming captive of a beast – a dragon in this instance – it was the threat inherent in the words, the forced capitulation – humanity against the universe.  I wanted to see if Gideon ever gained his freedom; but I also won’t deny that the dark theme of sexual slavery in this paranormal setting was a motivation.

The writer's style in the small excerpt that tempted me fit with all my preferences and my curiosity was pricked.

While the word describing my first reaction at stories end might have been bemused, it is now one of pique.  The story stayed with me, the horror for all that Gideon suffered on his journey, played on my mind for a number of days as I tried to work out why I am a person that would even want to read it.  I know I enjoy erotica ‘with feeling’ – doesn’t have to be romantic, just amazing sex.  This tale held none of that.  (And the violence you might ask?  Well in the paranormal world, physical harm to your protagonist is seldom enduring, kind of like video games – reboot, re-spawn - there is always some paranormal explanation for survival, I’ve found.)  Suffice to say, I’m still unsure why, but something of the dark curiosity in me just wanted to know more.

Having watched a movie some time ago with similar theme where British soldiers were going ‘through training’ to join the elite forces, what was actually going on in J Johanis’s book I suspected pretty quickly, and really I think there was little intention on the author’s part to hide it.  The story was about the journey, the will to survive despite the torture.  The violence and subsequent raping perpetrated on Gideon by his Dragon Master, I found to be one thing but the thing that truly got me was the humiliation he had to suffer as a means to control him.  Gideon does strike me as a sensitive person underneath his determination to win out.  How he will handle his new position knowing what he has suffered is the thing that calls me to read on.

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Sydney Whyte

Rating Chart

«……………….A no goer

««……………Alright, but not a re-read

«««………..Liked it

««««…….Loved it

«««««…Amaze-balls – ticks all the boxes!!!

Chance (book 7 in the Demon’s Gate series) by Nicholas Bella - Review

*Doing a happy little dance*

I shouldn’t say this but getting so wrapped up in a story and trying to anticipate where the author might be taking you, coming up with scenarios and thoughts like some crazy, obsessive fan-girl, and then getting it right can, in some instances, be such a fucking turn on!  Finished this book and went, “Haha, I fucking knew it!”

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying this author is predicable.  No, no never, because he can hit you with the most unexpected twists and turns, but in this instance my usually slow arse just picked up the clues.  However on that subject will I say no more…

What I will say is the tone of 'Chance' was in some ways refreshingly different.  Yes, it was sexy as fuck, that is a given with this author.  It contained the prerequisite gore, bloodthirstiness and demony-angst that all his fans require in a Nicholas Bella novella.  Something scary has arrived, but something more terrifying is coming, something that will shake the very foundations of all demondom upon the earth, and of course all humanity will get caught in the middle.  But beneath this mega doom and gloom Nicholas has imbued this novella with the sweetness of domesticity.  Brian and Raphael’s relationship can only be described as, “sooo cute”.  I know Raphael is a hard-arsed demon, and Brian is trying to be, but some of their interactions just created ‘awww’ moments for me and unlike the previous instalment ‘Lovelorn’ this time I really felt it - their connection - and I really enjoyed it.  It was like a pause, a breath of fresh air amongst the turmoil and I just loved it.  Honestly, I can’t wait for more.

Another five-star rating…

«««««

Sydney Whyte

Rating Chart

«……………….A no goer

««……………Alright, but not a re-read

«««………..Liked it

««««…….Loved it

«««««…Amaze-balls – ticks all the boxes!!!