Review- Truth Behind the Mask by Lesley Davis

Truth Behind the Mask

By Lesley Davis

Sept. 15, 2008

Fantasy/Sci-fi/Lesbian/Romance

87.3K words

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Buy it Amazon, B&N, ARe

High above the city, a young guardian searches for the enemy...and finds love.

In a city rife with evil, masked protectors secretly watch over the inhabitants, keeping the citizens safe while hiding their own identity. One young Sentinel, however, violates her oath and loses her heart to the woman she is charged to protect. By day, Pagan Osborne is a shy security specialist working in the family business. By night, as a Sentinel, she fulfils a greater family legacy and battles the criminals who threaten Chastilian's peace. Erith Baylor, a fiery young woman with her own secrets to hide, is drawn to Pagan's quiet charm and silent strength. But with so many secrets between them, their attraction could break the ties of family and finally reveal the truth behind the mask.

I was so attracted to this book that I bought it twice unknowingly.  I found the blurb intriguing. I thought maybe it’s a dark or intense urban fantasy type story. My overall feeling about this book though is that it was missing something in the way of the intensity I was hoping for. I found myself wishing the characters were darker, edgier and not so… nice.

Truth Behind the Mask started out great. I loved the setup. Pagan is sent to a car dealership to set up a high-tech security system. The owner is totally freaked by events going on and the fact that some of his high-end cars have been stolen. By day she works for her sister and her partner’s security company. But by night, she, her much older sister and sister’s partner watch over the city as Sentinels.

In this car dealership she meets Erith. Erith is different. She’s not shy, she dresses a bit Gothish and has flaming red hair. Something about Erith attracts Pagan. Erith is also attracted. Pagan is tall, very tall, and there’s something about her that intrigues Erith. She quickly finds out that Pagan is deaf and not reacting to that in a negative way turns Pagan on a bit more.

These two women dance around each other, flirting, but never doing anything overt while Pagan sets up the system. It’s clear though that Erith has some problems. Pagan sees bruises on her and flips out. Watching over her one night on her perch atop a building, she sees Erith getting beaten by her father and this enrages her.

Unfortunately Pagan has to keep her secret. And her sister and partner are warning her that it’s not OK to get involved with someone whom she is protecting. But she can’t help herself and breaks the rules bringing Erith to their secret home and world.

Erith also has a big secret. It’s a secret that’s found out fairly quickly. This is one of the things that I wish was played out a bit more for some tension, any kind of tension between the women. Once Erith finds out about Pagan and what she does and Pagan and her sister know Erith’s secret, about the ½ way point, the story lost a lot of steam for me.

I liked the characters themselves. Pagan is a rather innocent person considering the trauma she suffered as a child and her job as a crime fighter. You’d think she’d be toughened up and jaded, but she’s not. She was brought up by her older sister Melina and her partner Rogue in a loving and almost insolated way. She comes across as rather pure in how she thinks and acts.

Erith is a tech genius of sorts who has been recruited by her father to work on tech things he needs and is more familiar with the criminal element of Chastilian even if innocent. Her father is a major abuser and usually takes his anger out on her mother. He constantly threatens that he will hurt her mother if she doesn’t obey or, he beats her himself so she feels trapped.  And yet, she still feels like she has to deal with her father, have some kind of relationship or closure after escaping. She’s strong but vulnerable in that area. She's also somewhat unpredictable.

I think my favorite character is Rogue because she’s the toughest and has the most grit. Where Pagan will try not to do harm in fighting crime, Rogue will do what she has too. Melina, Pagan’s sister, didn’t really stand out for me in a striking way except that Rogue and Melina and how they relate is a huge part of this story. Family and loyalty to family are huge themes from both good and bad guy sides.

The plot of the Sentinels fighting the uber nepharious, sinister, evil Phoenix who’s out to destroy the city of Chastilian is fairly interesting but not too unique. There’s really not much world building, meaning, the Sentinels, including the Sighted, what they do and who they are is explained in briefest of terms and straightforwardly.  And there are major plot holes. There’s no reference to time although clearly it’s not current time or it’s in an alternate contemporary higher tech universe. And there’s no reference to any society outside of the city of Chastilian. So it does have a comic book feel to it with its super hero vs. villain in an insular city situation.

The main issue I had with this book was that there was way too much mushy talking about feelings and love. I know to most that would sound great, but it’s like one big love fest after everyone’s secret is out. It suffers just a little too much sweetness for me. From the midpoint on, when the action sort of stops and the emoting begins I lost interest. I managed to keep reading and it does pick up again.

The romance between Pagan and Erith suffered for me because of that as well. I liked how they slowly come together. Neither knowing if the other one is gay but throwing out little hints they are. Both girls are rather innocent in the romance dept. and that part was great. And it does develop slowly on the physical level. They share a room but don’t sleep together even though they profess their love for each other over and over. I mean once that happened, there was no reason to hope they’d get together anymore and it lost its steam.

I kept thinking (hoping) there’d be a glitch with Erith after telling Pagan the truth. But it’s all flowers and roses. The main foil for these two is the possibility of Pagan succumbing to the dangerous nature of her job, which wasn't enough for me.

I think if you like really, really sweet love stories with a bit of action in them and characters who are strong and independent, and set in an unique, alternate world, then this book will work for you. For the most part I enjoyed it even with the issues and I’d read another of this author’s books.

Heat Level- 3/4- there’s really only one sex scene that’s written in sensual way.

Grade- Between- it was OK and I liked it. 

Review- War Games by K.S. Augustin

War Games

By K.S. Augustin

July 27, 2011

Sci-fi/ f/f

96K words

Pub: Sandal Press

Ebook

Buy it Amazon (Kindle), B&N, Smashwords

What can you do when you start falling in love with the woman you’re meant to kill?

Laisen Carros is a covert agent of the Fusion, sent undercover to infiltrate the Perlim Empire. However, the years she’s spent as Cheloi Sie fighting Menon rebels on an alien battleground are starting to exhaust her.

To Lith Yinalña, Cheloi Sie is nothing but a war criminal and she considers it her personal mission to kill her.

Unfortunately for Laisen/Cheloi, the Empire and an idealistic assassin aren’t the only things she needs to worry about. A treacherous subordinate—the ambitious Koul Grakal-Ski—is looking for any chance to grab control of the territory. When Laisen and Lith start falling in love, it’s only a matter of time before Koul notices. And acts.

I won this book in a contest and I’m so glad I tried! It’s again that rare SF/F book with a female protagonist who has a romantic interest in women, so it was a treat for me. The plot is fast paced, tension is kept high and the characters, all of them including the secondary characters, are all compelling and fully developed.

I really have nothing negative to say about this book. The romance and plot were interwoven in just the right way and with an equal amount of book space and development.

One thing I liked that might be reader preference is that a lot of the story is intertwined with moral conflicts. Cheloi Sie/Laisen Carros is the most morally ambiguous character in this story and it’s mostly from her POV that this story is expressed through. I can’t really say that she’s a morally upright person, which I think will push some readers’ buttons, but I loved it. I’m actually rather fond of characters who have to do things that are ugly or wrong for what they feel is a greater good. That character who will make decisions and not dwell on how it negatively affects their internal code.

Cheloi Sei is a general for the Perlim who are trying to get control of the planet Menon in order to gain some foothold to fight their real enemy, the Fusion. Cheloi is a spy for the Fusion and has been sent to infiltrate the Perlim by becoming one of them. To play her role to a T, she needs to make hard decisions in which she has to order the mass murder of innocent people so that her cover and loyalty to the Perlim is never questioned.

What’s interesting to me is that ultimately, maybe the Fusion are not the altruistic people that they are presented as. On the surface it’s implied that they are the more “enlightened” group trying to curb the “evil” Perlim Empire from destroying and subjugating an innocent people on a foreign planet. However, like in most situations of war, it depends on what side you’re on as to whether your side is the “right” side and that becomes an interesting conflict inside of Cheloi. Is she just a pawn for an equally controlling Empire?

 It’s interesting to me to think about these kinds of things because all of the characters in this story are acting and doing atrocious things, except for maybe Lith, in the name of the rightness of their empire and ideology. It’s for the greater good. K.S. Augustin did a great job of really getting into the internal conflicts or lack thereof when the characters are confronted with things that go against their beliefs, like falling in love with the enemy, etc.

Cheloi is a strong, steely, unflappable woman. She can’t afford to make one mistake or her cover and her mission to take down the Perlim as a Perlim general will all be for naught. Her second in command, Koul Grakal-Ski, is an ambitious man and resents her for being appointed to a position he felt was his. He’s looking at every turn to find something on her to take her down so he watches her every move carefully. He’s also extremely loyal to the Perlim Empire and would never do anything to hurt it. His need to follow orders and be loyal becomes Cheloi’s luck in her mission. But he still tries to undermine her constantly.

 To keep up with the stress of always being on top of things, she talks often to a virtual psychiatrist with whom she can interact with inside her head through a chip. In this way we get a good chance to see what’s going on inside of Cheloi Sie’s head, what she really feels, how things really affect her and we get to see that there are cracks. She’s very “human” and her relationships with the people she works with do affect her deep down. She's also got a painful past and that is constantly hinted at but comes out in bits and pieces, slowly allowing us see where she comes from ultimately.

Outside of her intense attraction to Lith, she’s particularly fond of Rumis, her adjunct who is extremely loyal to her and the Perlim empire. However, unlike the conniving Koul Grakal-Ski, Rumis is honorable in his loyalty to her and it eats at Cheloi that she is being deceitful to a man she admires. There are painful consequences in Cheloi’s later decisions about Rumis, which I thought added a lot to the choices she makes for her future and her loyalty to the Fusion. She pays severe consequences emotionally for liking him and I liked that spurred character reflection and growth.

So all in all I loved the dynamics of what drives all the characters. There are lots of interesting moral questions presented that made this story really interesting to me.

Then there’s the romance. Lith is a young idealist who gets swept up in the romantic ideology of freeing her people from the Perlim Empire even though her parents were born Perlim. She belongs to a small, rouge Fusion group who have sent her to kill Cheloi, whom they know to be a mass murderer of innocents. What she doesn’t know is that Cheloi and she are fighting for the same side, which sets up the very interesting conflict for her in her attraction to Cheloi.

Right from the get-go there’s a strong attraction between Lith and Cheloi, which both intrigues Lith and freaks her out. They get it on fairly quickly but if it’s found out that they are having an affair, Koul will have an excuse to get rid of Cheloi, so they have only stolen moments together.

One thing I’ll say here is that while I did feel they are attracted, I couldn’t understand why Lith would put up with being coolly dismissed after sex, which is what Cheloi does to 1. keep her distance knowing that Lith’s the enemy and she shouldn’t lose her heart to her, and 2. to keep the relationship secret. However, it was clear that Lith, while bothered by it, realizes that it’s necessary and can’t help herself, she wants Cheloi.

Lith's personal codes are called into question as well as she's forced to make an important decision, which could jeopardize her mission to kill Cheloi and her break her heart at the same time.

While not the most passionate couple due to these issues, the romance is nicely and slowly developed. I felt that these two ache to be together even if they’re rather reticent in their expression of it. And there is a happy ending.

Outside of all of that, there’s a nice tension and suspense throughout the whole book that kept the story exciting. There are so many twists and intrigues and alliances and deceits that I kept reading just to see what would happen. I definitely recommend War Games if you’re into sci-fi and f/f and even if you’re not. It’s just a good compelling story all around.

Heat level: 2-3. The sexual scenarios are not too graphically written. More sensually written with softer terminology used.

Grade: A-

Review- The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

The Dark Wife
by Sarah Diemer
May 11, 2011
YA/ Fantasy/ Lesbian

Buy it Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth.

Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: choice.

Zeus calls Hades "lord" of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the goddess of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian destiny.

But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds love, and herself.

The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian revisionist retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth.

First I’ll start off with a disclaimer that I know nothing of Greek mythology other than the most basic of stories. I do know some of the gods and what they represent, but that’s the extent of my knowledge. So I read this book basically at face value as a sort of epic fantasy set in the world of Greek mythology. However, I think this story might be really fun and interesting to someone who does know a lot about Greek mythology. I understand it’s a different twist on the Persephone/Hades original story.

This is a debut, indie published novel by author Sarah Diemer and it’s quite impressive. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, lyrical and clean, like writing is her second skin.

I’ve never read any YA books. I’m an older woman and essentially they don’t appeal to me. But this book brought up that inner awe and wonder I felt when I read Marion Zimmer Bradley back when I was a young woman. Those stories that sparked my imagination. There’s a similar feeling about this book and those books. Like those books, the world building is lush, layered and colorful and exquisitely executed in The Dark Wife.

Persephone is young goddess who’s been brought up by her mother Demeter. She fell in love with Charis, a wood nymph from her mother’s forest, and they were having beautiful love affair when Zeus raped Charis and turned her into a rose bush. This shattered Persephone’s heart into a thousand pieces. Even more devastating, Persephone finds out that Zeus is her father and that her mother is helpless to save her when Zeus decides it’s time for her to live on Mount Olympus with him and the other Immortals.

Hating him with a passion, Persephone feels this is a fate worse than death and escapes to the only place she knows Zeus has no influence, the underworld, which is ruled by Hades. She has met Hades before and something about Hades intrigued her and grabbed her heart, so she felt that she would be accepted by Hades and given safe harbor.

While in the underworld, Persephone learns many things and finds out that she has a special destiny, one that has been prophesied. But can she muster the courage to go through the hell she might have to endure to fulfill that?

Persephone is a great character. She’s so innocent and loving and pure, but has tremendous courage to fight for what she believes in. She's willing to risk things to have her life. The Dark Wife is written in first person POV and usually I find that POV to be limiting or the story is told in linear fashion by the character. In this story, Persephone is that rare self-aware character who has deep insight to her being, the subtle layers of her emotion getting recognized and expressed, which turned her more into a multi-dimensional and rich character than is usual.

If there is any gripe I have with this story it’s that it would have been nice to get more into Hades’ head. She’s the least developed character in my opinion. I got a better feel for Pallas even, a dead person living in the underworld and friend to Hades. Hades is the main love interest for Persephone and while I felt it to be a sweet love story, due to the lack of depth in her character, some build up and tension was lacking in that area.

That said, where the story lacked in a romantic build up for me, it shined in the intensity of the drama and growth of Persephone as a character. So it’s just a minor complaint for me.

The Dark Wife moves at a fast pace and there’s really never a dull moment in Persephone’s life. There’s a perfect balance of action with reflection so it doesn’t slip into a too much of either area at the expense of the other. The plot is rather typical to fairy tales or fantasy with many of the same elements of good vs. evil with a sort of moral/spiritual aspect to it, however, it felt fresh to me, like I’ve read something new and unique.

I will absolutely be buying Sarah Diemer’s other books. I love her writing style. Much heart and passion comes through and her ability to spin a fantastic and original tale is above par.

Heat rating: 0- this is not an erotic romance. There are beautifully written, and not in the typical purple prose, sexual scenarios that are not graphic in nature, but express clearly what the characters are feeling. That in itself is an art. This is a YA after all.

Grade: A

Review- Lessons Learned: Eldritch Legacy II by Katrina Strauss

Lessons Learned: Eldritch Legacy 2
by Katrina Strauss
Sept. 2009
Historical/ Fantasy/ Paranormal/ BDSM/ erotica/m/f, f/f, m/f/f/m
62K
Ebook- Loose Id

Buy it Loose-Id, Fictionwise, ARe, Amazon (Kindle)

An enlightened woman of her times, Camille Rocheford stirs up controversy with a novel published under her true name rather than a male pseudonym. Yet despite her modern views, Camille is at odds with the carefree morals of her more open peers. Lured into summering at the home of an undisclosed host, she is shocked to meet the infamous Stefan Eldritch, the greatest scandal being her instant attraction to him.

Stefan Eldritch is known for his provocative verse, more so for his wild soirees. Born into wealth, the poet enjoys a life of excess even as he holds the aristocracy in contempt. But one luxury eludes him—the woman who can match him in both wits and in bed. Until he meets Camille.

An unlikely pair, Stefan and Camille fall into creative collaboration—and unbridled romance. When the lovers stumble upon the lost path of the Magi, the power they unleash plunges them deeper into a world of reckless abandon. Yet sinister forces lurk in wait, putting the power of the pen and a pledge of love to the ultimate test.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme and content, ménage and moresome (m/f/m, m/f/f/m, partner swapping), same-sex interaction (f/f), voyeurism.

First, it’s hard for me not to compare this story to the first Eldritch Legacy book of the series, which I found to be exceptionally good. Secrets Revealed rocked as far as I’m concerned and even now the two main characters sit in my head as characters to set the bar by in their depth, intensity and overall characterization.

Lessons Learned carries on with the colorful and creative mix of having the feel of an historical with a bit of the paranormal and fantasy elements intertwined that Secrets Revealed had. It takes place few centuries later with Stefan Eldritch being a direct descendant of Lord Eldritch and Inga. Unlike Lord Eldritch though Stefan doesn’t quite have the intensity, purpose and darkness about him. He’s a lot more pampered and although he does have that dominant vibe about him, I felt overall he was a bit too soft and placating. This is one part where I think had I not read the first book, I might feel differently. The bar was set rather high already.

Stefan is basically living off of his family’s money in their ancestral home. He’s known to be a playboy and partier, the black sheep of his family and not really caring much about anything except is life of debauchery. When he meets Camille, it’s instant love and attraction. He introduces her into the world of BDSM, which she readily goes along with even though she initially comes across as spinsterish and shy. However, when Camille takes off, leaving him, he turns into a mush ball. Or if she decides to not be submissive, he doesn’t push it. I personally felt that he would be the type to be p-whipped in the long run. So while I rather liked Stefan as a character in general, he didn’t quite jump out at me like Lord Eldritch did as someone memorable.

Camille starts out rather innocent and prudish. I liked this. I love a female character who’s a bit uptight and cool and all proper at first and on the surface. So I got off on Camille in the beginning. She quickly though, and I mean almost right from the beginning, finds herself attracted to Stefan being dominant and being OK with him treating her submissively. I felt that happened a bit too quickly and easily. It’s not that I felt a disconnect in her personality, it’s just she went from 0-60 within a short period of time. I guess I would have, or I actually did wish there was more seduction involved that would have been drawn her out to show that she really wasn’t such a wanton woman in heat without needing more coaxing. But that’s strictly my preference.

As female characters go, I love me female who is or can be submissive and yet dominant and strong in other ways and Camille shows that she can be. She literally walks away from Stefan and she literally saves his life. On this level I quite enjoyed Camille. However, again, she was not as crisp and intense a character for me like Inga was. Maybe it was that Stefan being a bit washed out didn’t give enough contrast to make Camille really shine for me.

Even with my criticisms, I’m certainly not saying this is not a worthy book, it is. I loved the continuation of the generations theme. Camille finds Lord Eldritch’s mask in the river and it becomes an important magical item that connects the generations. The use of paranormal concepts as a connection to the characters in the former book, and which I think will be in the next book set in current times, is very nicely and uniquely done. Camille in particular finds her psychic abilities, which she never acknowledged and which has made her fearful at times, connects her and Stefan to the past.

The secondary characters Nicolette and Klauss, to be honest, felt placed in there specifically to turn this into a foursome. Their characterizations stayed mostly on the surface giving Camille and Stefan others to interact with and have contrast with.

On the level of how hot this book was, well, Katrina Strauss certainly delivered on that account. Maybe for me there was a bit too much sex in the beginning, but it’s very well written and erotically charged. And for the purposes of LVLM blog interest, there was quite a bit f/f mixed with m/f in it. Some of the best scenes are with all four and although the men are never with each other. All four do have strong feelings for each other and the f/f was written very honestly, Nicolette being Camille’s best friend. It came off as loving and natural and no big deal that they took it a step further.

This is exactly the type of book I love to read. As far as the BDSM aspect, I felt it a bit more subdued than in Secrets Revealed. Although all the elements are there and Stefan is very commanding at times, maybe again it was due to my feeling that Stefan didn’t quite step up to the plate or that he wasn’t as dramatic in his characterization. Or maybe I’m so used to well written BDSM now from Katrina Strauss that I don’t bat an eye at it. Heh.

The story on the whole, is rather fast paced and full of adventure and crisis, especially mid way on. Stefan and Camille have collaborated on some salacious and politically charged pamphlets that they’ve had published anonymously. His family, who feel he is a traitor anyway, cause a lot of trouble for him and this part of the story, along with the erotic adventures, are what made this book a good book for me ultimately.

I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy the particular elements to this book. Well written BDSM, historical fantasy, and most importantly for this blog, the f/f or m/f/f/m interactions. I look forward to reading the next installment of this series if only to see where Katrina Strauss takes it.

Heat level: 5 – BDSM, Anal, F/F, M/F/FM, D/s dynamics. Frequent, graphically written sexual scenarios.

Grade- B+

Review- Clicking Stones by Nancy Tyler Glenn

Clicking Stones
by Nancy Tyler Glenn
Original pub- 1989
Fantasy/ New age/ Lesbian- 1930’s- 2023
76K words
Ebook version- Artemis Press

Buy it Amazon (paper,Kindle), Fictionwise, Artemis Press

Seven-year-old Erica stumbles into a mystical place where a mysterious old woman gives her a stone. A very special stone. A Clicking Stone. Striking it against any other stone causes both to flare into incredible brilliance. Except, not everyone can see the brilliance. And Erica does not yet know the power of her Stone...

Morgan moves in next door. The girls grow up together and one day, the two click stones...

Knowledge of Erica-s gift spreads, creating a worldwide movement of adherents to the illumination power of Clicking Stones. Still, the question remains: why do some people see the brilliance and gain energy from it, and some do not? There is no discernible pattern or reason...

Throughout all these evolutionary events there is the love between Erica and Morgan -- a love that survives separation, and their loving of other women. A love of extraordinary intensity and eroticism... a love that transcends the passing years... and, finally, astonishingly, time itself.

I bought this book because I’m kind of tired of lesbian contemporary and this book seemed like it would be a good fantasy story. It is…kind of… a fantasy. What this book really is, is the chronological biography of a woman’s life from when she is 7 years old in 1945 until the year 2033. Yes, that is part of where the fantasy comes in, that she can live so long.

I can’t classify this is as a romance, although it has romantic elements to it. And there are some sexual bits that are written erotically, but again, this is more or less a biographical type story.

If you read the blurb, that pretty much tells the whole story. Most of this story revolves around Erica being able to see light when clicking stones. Only some people can see the light when they click stones although others pretend to. For some reason this ability becomes a major spiritual or new age organized movement in which centers spring up all over in which people gather to click stones. Not only that, but they also become centers for all kinds of groups to meet based on ethnicity, sexual identity, feminism, etc.

Frankly, I didn’t get it. Or the final reason why some can click and others was not a big deal to me. The only ability of clickers was maybe to see light if they clicked their stones, but this didn’t translate into any kind of special spiritual experience. Like no one became enlightened or turned into Yoda, Miyagi or Gandalf. They are all still their regular old selves with no special understanding of the cosmos. So I couldn’t get why a whole new age movement would spring up around this.

Moreover, Erica, after a while, would only click with her lovers, as if denying clicking with anyone else gave some specialness to her lovers. It’s not like clicking gave them some deep spiritual connection over and above just being in love. So really that whole aspect of the book was rather lame to me.

To be honest, because of it, I kept trying to read it as some metaphor for things like that; movements or organizations that spring up around spirituality and or special abilities like that, just to make some sense of why it was a big deal. I'm an old new age hippy chick myself and I guess I was trying to read into it some Jonathan Livingston Seagull type thing, which I didn't find.

Other than the clicking, there are a hodgepodge of other new age ideas involved like: communicating telepathically, passing through worlds, meeting another who has passed on, reincarnation, seeing dead beings, Indian swami's, meditation, etc. It was kind of all over the place on that level.

The main story though was basically Erica being in love with Morgan. They met as children and Erica had special feelings for Morgan. Morgan though, kind of blew off Erica for another, more aggressive girl, whom Erica stayed jealous of most of her life.

Erica moves on with her life and has a few affairs, but is mainly involved with running her Clicking Stones movement. And Morgan goes off to Europe to become a sculptress. They really don’t have much contact at all for like 20 years, at which point, Morgan comes back and decides to be with Erica.

Ok, this I didn’t get either. Morgan seemed to not be too interested in Erica the few times they met after growing up, so why she suddenly decided it’s time to be with Erica, I don’t know. At least there is a HEA in this.

Then there’s the whole fantasy element outside of the clicking stones and other sundry new age concepts, which kind of didn’t work for me because it was too close to reality and contemporary times. And also, it wasn’t a pure fantasy, but was reality with added fantasy elements.

For example, this book was written in the late 80’s. There were computers then, but not really personal computers. Erica gets a computer to help run her business, which talks to her and can interact with her and she can interact with her center leaders from all over through this computer. In the book, she got it during the 80’s.

Back in the 80’s our ideas of computers were that you could interact and talk with them based on movies. But the internet was already happening in the early 90’s. So not that futuristic of an idea. But how it was written in this book, the technology was still 70’s sci-fi. Also, Erica is still using the same computer well into 2009 and up until 2023 recognizing that most likely the interface would not be supported anymore. Umm… yeah.

It’s just too close to home to accept such a thing as fantasy. If the book had been written in the 50’s or 60’s I wouldn’t have bothered about it. But it would have gone over a lot better if the concept was vastly different from reality or if this was a pure fantasy and the world Erica is in is something completely different from current reality.

Thy main reason I did like the book and kept reading was that since it was a chronological story of a Erica’s life, we get to see the social and political changes and issues from the 40’s and on. I rather liked this part because Erica being a lesbian through that time period gave insight into that world through the 50’s, 60’s, 70's +.

Erica writes to her friend through the whole book with the date on it, so we get to see what she was doing at different time periods. A kind of open minded hippy way of thinking does permeate the story, which I thought was interesting since I think as a lesbian, she would have had to be part of that world to fit in on any level or be accepted. And frankly, it was kind of like reminiscing about my teen years as she got into the 60’s- 70’s, which was fun.

This is definitely a different kind of book. I read it more as a biography of a lesbian during times when it wasn’t OK to be out and found it interesting on that level alone.

Heat level: 4 – There are some pretty graphically written sexual scenarios, but only a few scenes for the length of the book, which is long.

Grade: B-

Review- The Portal in the Park by Shara Bloodstone

The Portal in the Park
by Shara Bloodstone
2008
Contemporary/ fantasy/erotica/(m/f)-(f/f)-(f/f/f/m) bisexual
20K- $3.75-$5
Ebook- Amber Quill Press

Buy it Amber Quill Press, Fictionwise, ARe

Springtime is blooming in Manhattan when Julie Daniels takes a break from her dance research at the Lincoln Center library. Her visit to an unfamiliar coffee shop renders an eccentric gentleman who serves up more than the average latte. After blending a little magic in her drink, he sends her to a grove hidden deep in Central Park. In addition to the usual flowers and trees, Julie discovers the woodlands also contain mythological creatures. The lusty fauns and seductive nymphs who appear have traveled through a portal in the park. The exotic creatures entice Julie into a realm of passion beyond her wildest dreams, and she embraces the carnal pleasures they offer.

When evening approaches, Julie awakens from a nap to find the magical beings nowhere in sight. And even more frightening, neither is the coffee shop, where the strangeness all began!

Julie would like to write off the bizarre occurrences as a dream, or perhaps an hallucination. But her sated body and spirit convince her otherwise. She’s left to wonder how and why this strange day began—and if it’s really ended...

I have many mixed feelings about this book. But unfortunately, mostly not very good feelings.

From the blurb: “She’s left to wonder how and why this strange day began—and if it’s really ended...”

Yeah, me too.

This story is classified as erotica, so I’m not going to get on its case for the sexual content that really had no rhyme or reason to it. It’s a pure sexual fantasy. What I am going to gripe about is what I consider to be funky writing.

The first thing that jumped out at me was the constant thinking out loud that Julie does. Most often in stories we get insight to what the character is thinking internally but not in the literal sense of saying exactly what they are thinking. When thoughts are written as if the character is actually speaking these things to themselves, verbatim, it’s just awkward. It really kept throwing me out of the story. For example:

Nothing. Just wind over tall grasses, I guess.

Arms akimbo, she completed the circle without seeing another human being.

Nobody. Then why does it feel like somebody's near?

She slid her knapsack down her back and let it fall to the ground.

Maybe I'm picking up on the two lovers getting it on, up in the cherry trees.

She let out a little snigger of laughter and froze.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear somebody just laughed along with me.

Hairs on end, she cocked an ear to the wind...nothing.

Man, I'm losing it. Let me lay down here for a while.

I mean, who does that?

The next issue I had with the writing was the awful prose during the sexual scenarios. I usually have no problem with blunt, in your face graphic sexual language, but this was over the top bad and in places, corny. Or maybe because the set up was not that great, it read more like porn than erotica. Example:

He slid her down to stand and embraced her before turning her toward the tree. He then stroked her bare ass, drawing his hand in and out of her crack.

"Mmm, this is so beautiful. I want to be inside you, in each of your holes."

He spoke between the sultry but relentless forward motion he was using to stretch her pink hole wide.

"You are such a healthy, beautiful human, strong enough to have me in you. Let me fill your beauty up in a way you have never known before. Open your precious ass for me."

While Tichi suckled her breasts and kissed her neck, Fila finger-fucked her, and Faunus pressed his cock halfway down her throat.

And corny:

Her vaginal lips were swollen, pulsing with a tom-tom beat of excitement, and she thought he had to be stimulating her clit with his hand.

"Look," he said, motioning his eyes down toward his groin. "Look at what I have for you. See how great my tool of awakening."

"Yes, but that...you're so big."

Although this is erotica, meaning there doesn't need to be a big love story, I still feel that erotica should contain some sort of emotional connection between the characters or it's basically porn. In this case, I do give kudos to the author for coming up with a creative scenario for Julie to get her freak on without consequence or need to justify to herself anything she’s done. And I actually liked this part. However, I really didn't feel much of an emotional connection between Faunus and Julie. And the main excuse it seems that the author gives for Julie getting to be part in an orgy is that it’s for her “sexual awakening,” as if there’s something wrong with her.

The words “sexual awakening” are mentioned many times in this story. First by the coffee shop owner who hints to her about her sexual awakening. Then when she slips through the portal and is in portal land, she gets her “sexual awakening” by several wood nymphs and a Faun.

Apparently though, “sexual awakening” in this instance mostly means having butt sex. Really, does having anal sex constitute a sexual awakening? This is why I feel the “sexual awakening” as an excuse is pushed on the reader by reinforcement:

Julie blushed even before asking, "And what would that be?"

"Playing, of course. Laughing, drinking, lusting. These are the things we are sent to attend to. Therefore, let us concentrate on them--and, in so doing, attend to your sexual awakening."

These words sent a shiver down Julie's spine.

"My sexual awakening? Why did you say that?"

When he smiled, unabashed sexuality gleamed in his expression.

"Bringing nubile creatures to their sexual awakenings."

She had allowed herself to get into the throes of a "sexual awakening" today, and any hesitation on her part would spoil the effect. She spread her legs to let Fila finger her, gyrating her ass as Fila plied her deeper.

"Shh, I know that," the faun coaxed. "This is your awakening, remember? I promise to pleasure you in all ways. You will be opened after this. In touch with your sexual prowess."

"All right," he said, "I'll awaken you from here."

She felt him dribbling more oil into her crack.

"Now, I will anoint you," he said.

"That's right, Amorfos, let me have you in a way no human man has ever dared. Let your awakening come. Open wide to me."

The trouble for me in this whole “sexual awakening” thing is why does Julie NEED sexual awakening? There was no background story to indicate that Julie was in need of any sexual help or that she was an uptight person sexually. Were her past lovers complaining she never allowed butt sex or sex with women? Was she herself feeling like she wanted to explore her sexuality before all this? Was she frigid? Does not having anal sex and orgies mean that you are not sexually awakened? All this interference by others telling her she needs sexual awakening was a bit weird to me. I would have felt better if Julie had just been seduced only without the insinuation that something was wrong with her.

With no reason that I could see that Julie needs this help to begin with, I also don’t get why she in particular was chosen for a “sexual awakening.” Therefore, to me, this was all a lame excuse for a whole sexual scenario that had no bearing on anything.

For me, it turned what was a good premise into something a bit more corny. Like the short beginnings to a porn flick that pretend the flimsiest excuses for the sex to happen.

Then there was the issue of Julie having sex with a Faun. During the sexual encounter, Julie notes how his fur feels against her skin. And of course, several references to Faunus digging his hooves into the ground for more leverage.

I’m sorry but the descriptions of his humongous cock and his waist down being furry like an animal kind of squicked me out. I just kept picturing Julie having sex with a goat. Not really a turn on. Maybe I’m not sexually awakened enough. Heh.

On the bright side, I rather enjoyed the beginning and ending. The set up of her finding a special coffee shop with an eccentric owner, the whole portal idea, and the end when she goes looking for where she had been, was nicely written. I feel that the author started and ended in the right direction but really veered off course throughout the whole sexual part of this story.

There’s a small part in which there is some f/f, and that’s kind of hotly written. But this is basically a m/f fantasy.

Personally, I’d have pass on recommending this book unless you like raw sexual language and descriptions and or you just want something to titillate you sexually. If you need an emotional connection, I can’t recommend this.

Sex rating: Orgasmic- very graphic sexual language, anal, DP with dildo, f/f, f/f/f/m, m/f, toe sucking, *bestiality* (if you consider sex with Pan bestiality)

Grade: D+

Review- A Swithin Spin I: A Queen's Move by Sharon Maria Bidwell

A Swithin Spin I: A Queen’s Move
by Sharon Maria Bidwell
2009
Fantasy/ F/F- bisexual
48K- $5.99
Ebook

Buy it Loose-ID, Fictionwise

Tressa, the Swithin Queen, doesn't always manage to act as a lady should. Her marriage is one of duty, though not without love. Even so, Markis, her husband, is happy for her to try a softer, feminine touch, if it means that Tressa finally finds true love. Meira is half Swithin and even though she's a great healer, some look upon her heritage with suspicion. Still, she's stronger than that; what others think of her has never mattered...so why is it suddenly important to her that Tressa looks at her with love? Why does she want to protect Tressa even if it means possibly failing to do the right thing? Will the nation be able to stand up to the two women? Even more importantly, how will Tressa and Meira manage their dominant natures between the sheets?

A Queen’s Move is one of those books that’s hard to write a review for. While I didn’t hate this book, I didn’t love it either. Something was missing for me in both the love story and the general cohesiveness of the several story lines going on, but there were some things that I enjoyed about it.

Tressa is the Swithin Queen by marriage. The Swithin are a race of socially enlightened people who honor the rights both men and women equally. Sexually the Swithin are very open and have no judgments about gender preferences, only that it’s OK to love whomever you love. They’re also very powerful in this universe and so they hold much sway.

Tressa was born to the king of the Azulite, a race of people who are dominated by men. Women have absolutely no rights at all, are not allowed to even think for themselves and are forced to be completely subservient to men. Tressa escaped being forced into marriage by running away and marrying the king of Swithin, Markis. While their marriage is one of convenience---Markis is a gay man with two partners--- they do have a mutual love and respect for each other. So when Tressa expresses her desire to be with a woman, he supports her.

Tressa wants to go back to her home country to try and open them up and enlighten them on the errors of their archaic ways and takes Meira with her for support. Meira was born of parents of two races. Because of her parents intermarrying from two warring races, they were slaughtered and Meira was raised as a slave basically, being abused both sexually and mentally. She’s now a healer and Tressa is in love with her, although Tressa is reluctant express that to Meira. Meira feels this attraction but is reticent and doesn’t want to get emotionally involved. It’s only when they are jailed together by the Azulite that they do something about what they feel.

There are several issues I had with this book. The main problem for me was the lack of oomph or juice in this story. I got bored quite often and really pushed myself to keep reading this book. To be fair, I will chalk some of it up to my mood. However, there were some concrete problems that I can identify as to why this book didn’t quite pop for me.

Unfortunately, this book starts out really slow and doesn’t get much better until the very end. In the first chapter there’s hardly any dialogue and it’s about Tressa and Meira basically ignoring each other or being perfunctory on their way to Tressa’s homeland. While they are busy not talking, Tressa’s inner dialogue goes on and on though, explaining the back story of this Swithin world, which bored and confused me since until that point, I had no investment in the current story or the characters.

Another issue; I felt no heat between Tressa and Meira. Tressa supposedly has it really bad for Meira. And Meira is attracted to Tressa, but likes to keep her distance and acts rather cool with Tressa. When Meira, who is bisexual, finally seduces Tressa, Tressa retracts from Meira, suddenly fearing and wondering if she really can be with a woman since she has no experience.

I felt these constant reservations going on between the two and didn’t really believe that they want or need each other badly enough. In the end when they do finally open up to each other totally, it’s rather bland as they discuss rationally, rather than passionately act out, their feelings for each other.

Then there was problem in which I felt that the focus of this story was not very clear. It wasn’t completely about Meira and Tressa’s love story as there were other story lines going on. There’s a major story line of Tressa’s brother being in love with a woman who loves another woman in a society where that is strictly forbidden and Tressa trying to help him. I thought that this part might be used as an excuse for Meira and Tressa to get closer, and they do to a degree.

Again though, there was no passion that came from that for Tressa and Meira; it was all about the brother and the relationship between his love Kiana and Helsa. I actually felt more passion going on between Kiana and Helsa. Probably because they are doomed living in a place that they can be killed for being together, unlike Meira and Tressa who are free to love in Swithin territory and don’t have to fight for their love.

Another story thread running through this book was Tressa going home with this idealistic idea of trying to change the attitudes of her people. The Azulites are written as so misogynistic that it was clear to me right from the beginning that Tressa doesn’t even have a chance and that she’s basically got her head in the clouds chasing windmills. I really didn’t get why she thought she could change a whole nation’s way of thinking just like that. So that part of the story was unbelievable to me and felt contrived as an excuse to throw all these characters together.

Within this I felt there was too much of an underlying general social statement going on about the persecution of women and homosexuals by men, which negatively colored things for me.

On a positive note, I do admit that I liked the contrast of the Azulite race being so anti women with the Swithin being so open and conscientious as a people. It did make for some good conflict in this story. And I felt this world in general to be an interesting backdrop for character growth and the concept itself is unique.

The sex scenes between the women were also nicely written. And the story did pick up with some major action at the end, which I think helped my overall opinion of this story. I think if you like fantasy this book might appeal to you. As a f/f love story I wish it had more passion to it, which I think was possible due to the cultural and racial differences.

Sex rating: Wet panties: f/f. fairly graphic sexual language and scenarios, minor anal. Barely described fisting.

Grade: C-

For another review, which might help you better understand this book: Rainbow Reviews.

Review- Enslaving Heaven by Michelle Houston

Enslaving Heaven
by Michelle Houston
2007, 2008
Fantasy/ Sci-Fi/ F/F
Short Novella
Ebook

Buy it Phaze- $2.50

Lyssa is disgusted by the whole sale of slaves, but finds herself drawn to one of the ladies on the selling block. After impulsively purchasing her, Lyssa now has to decide what to do with Alya û she can't just keep her. But the former prostitute, now slave, has other plans for her new mistress, including convincing her to let her stay.

As if Lyssa doesn't have enough to deal with, her pilot and best friend Nita is having problems adjusting to the newest member of their crew, and how it makes her feel. Nita had once found what Lyssa has, but lost it thanks to her. When an accident gives Nita a second chance with the woman she loves, she risks Lyssa's wrath to be with her.

OK, I have to admit that I had to stop reading this story because it wasn’t my cup of tea. But I did go back to it and it did actually get a bit better for me even though I don’t like the sexual subject matter and it’s not the f/f, but the whole world of sadism, which is portrayed strongly in this book.

Lyssa is on an outstation fulfilling a contract. While she and the pilot of her ship, Nita, are waiting, she sees a former prostitute, Alya, being auctioned off and buys her. It’s actually illegal to own slaves in this world and prostitution is illegal as well. Lyssa buys her intending to set her free, but can’t help herself and keeps her. Technically she’s not a slave because Lyssa tore up the bill of sale and makes Alya work on the ship as part of the crew, but Alya and Lyssa both know it’s to service Lyssa sexually.

Nita, who is also Lyssa's best friend, becomes jealous of this situation because she had a one night fling with Lyssa, which didn’t work out. But when Nita did find a women she wanted to be with Lyssa denied that to her, so Nita is pissed off about Lyssa doing what she wants even though it's illegal.

What kind of turned me off straight away about Enslaving Heaven is that Lyssa is so contradictory in her attitude. She is a sadist, a domme. She picks up that Alya is a real submissive and that turns her on. But at the same time, it’s illegal to own slaves for sexual purposes and she goes on and on about doing the right thing and setting Alya free, taking her to a place where she can start her own life. She even acts incredulous and upset when she sees marks on Alya’s body telling her that she’s been abused.

But in the end, she cannot resist Alya and seduces her. In fact, she treats Alya in the same way, very cruelly constantly letting Alya know that she can do whatever she wants to her and will, and Alya can’t do anything about it.

This includes: tying her up, putting electrodes on her nipples and shocking them, hooking her up to a whipping machine that whips her crotch and nipples at regular intervals and so on. Then she tells Alya she is free but she is basically a slave on the ship, doing what ever she is told. And Alya loves being abused and gets off on it because she’s a submissive. I guess I just don’t get those kinds of dynamics, because I didn’t feel for one moment any kind of respect or lovingness between these two even if it is in the world of BDSM.

When they all go on another contract, Nita gets hurt and Lyssa gets her to the closest Dr., who just happens to be the Dr. who saved Lyssa’s life after a serious accident. This Dr. saved Lyssa by basically making her semi bionic, which pissed Lyssa off. But there’s also a nasty history between them having to do with Nita and now that Nita needs help, Lyssa is forced to deal with the Dr. again.

I will say here that until this point, I couldn’t see one redeeming quality about Lyssa. She’s a prick-- nasty, and cruel and I could feel nothing appealing about her. After she takes Nita to the Dr. though, things come up; truths she’s needs to face about Nita and something in her softens, a little bit. While I never really did warm up to her, at least I could appreciate that she is capable of doing something that doesn’t directly please her.

I felt nothing for Alya either. She’s a total submissive who gets off on pain. Real pain. To give credit to her though, she’s only submissive when with Lyssa in sex. On the ship, she holds herself high.

The only characters I felt anything for were Nita and the Dr. Nita is a sympathetic character and someone with heart. She’s a sub as well, but didn’t feel like the wet blanket, with no personality like Alya did. Nita is strong and feisty. And the Dr. really stands up to Lyssa, which I liked. She’s a strong domme, but not cruel like Lyssa.

The sex in this book was all f/f, however, because of Lyssa’s accident, her crotch area is bionic and she always wears a strap-on with a dildo that hooks into her internal electrodes. This almost made the book have the feel of Lyssa being a man. Outside of that, it’s all pretty hardcore S&M. If that’s your cuppa, you’ll love this book. This definitely isn’t any kind of sweet love story.

Even though BDSM is not my bag, I’ve read lots of very well written books with this kind of sex and theme. What usually gets me in those types of stories is that even though I don’t really understand the dynamics in the BDSM world, why people would really get off on pain, in most books the characters have a deep love and respect for each other in that, which makes me get that this type of sex is fulfilling to the characters. In this book I felt none of that. Zip. Lyssa is really cruel with nary a thought to Alya. She really treats her like an animal, or possession and it turned me off.

In the end there really wasn’t anything about this story that didn’t make me feel a bit sick after reading it. Even the f/f sex didn’t turn me on, if I base it solely on this book being erotica, which would mean that the focus is on the sex and not necessarily on any kind of emotion between the characters. If you’re really into hard core S&M though, you might get off on this book.

Sex rating: Wet Panties. Very graphic f/f, strap-on, hard core BDSM

Grade: F

Bound By Steel - Excerpt and contest.

In honor of the release of my third Samhain book, Bound by Steel, I'm holding a little contest. Up for grabs is a copy of my loverly book there===>

As some of you might be aware, today also marks the occasion of the Canadian federal election. Since there's really nothing less evocative of politics than dirty books, and since I am a sucker for the lol-speak, I'm asking for your best (that is, most bizarrely spelled, syntax-impaired, grammar-challenged) lolcat-style Canadian political campaign slogans. Extra points for every lame Canuck stereotype (beer, hockey, "eh", etc) you manage to include.

To assist those fortunate souls unfamiliar with the panoply of Canadian political pomposity, the candidates and their individual weirdnesses are as follows:

Liberal leader Stephane Dion, talks with the exact same mannerisms and inflection as my great aunt Lorette

NDP leader Jack Layton, has the front teeth of a bunny-rabbit. Also, a mustache. I just don't trust a straight guy with a mustache...

Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe, evil overlord extraordinaire

Green Party leader Elizabeth May, crazy cat lady

Conservative leader and incumbent PM Stephen Harper, the quintessential Blue Meanie

Now I know, Ms. May just screams potential for lolcat goodness, but please, do not neglect the rest of this motley crew. Gimme some insanity. Do your worst.

And once you're done, to cleanse your palate, read this blammo, girl-on-girl excerpt:

Scowling at the blank leather surface, Kaela hammered her bandaged fists into it, harder and faster. A patch of sweat plastered her shirt to the center of her back, and tendrils of her hair had escaped her braid to stick to her face. Her breasts jiggled enticingly with every blow, her nipples poking against the thin linen of her borrowed shirt.

Lianon dragged her gaze from them, and refocused her attention on the motion of Kaela’s arms. "From the shoulder," she instructed. "Put your whole body into it."

Another few punches, and Kaela sagged against the sparring form, panting. "Enough, Lianon," she gasped with a weary smile. "I’m tired."

"Are you?" Lianon asked. Her belly coiled at the sight of the other woman’s arms wrapped around the form, her breasts pressed against it, imagining them pressed like that against Gil’s chest. "How tired?"

Hearing the change in her voice, Kaela aimed a surprised glance at her, laughing giddily. "Lianon? Lianon, it’s the middle of the afternoon!"

Lianon grinned, remembering a lazy morning spent abed exploring Kaela’s deliciously curvy body, before chores had forced them to rise. "I know what time it is. Come here."

Kaela’s cheeks filled with color, but her eyes were suddenly all heat. She straightened, her smile evaporating as she stepped into Lianon’s waiting arms.

Their lips met, parted. Tongues dueled and danced as an already familiar need leapt between them. Lianon plundered deep into the moist heat of Kaela’s mouth, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She wrapped her arms tight around the other woman, reveling in the feel of Kaela’s heavy breasts pressing against her own smaller ones.

Stumbling a little, she walked Kaela backward toward the wall and pushed her up against it. Her hands slid down to cup Kaela’s ass, so gorgeously outlined in Gil’s trousers. Dipping low, her fingers brushed against the seam that covered Kaela’s sex. She was rewarded by a sigh of sweet breath into her mouth.

Tearing her lips away from Kaela’s, Lianon kissed a path across her cheek to her ear, then began a slow, torturous descent down the side of her neck. "God, you’re so fucking beautiful," she whispered, echoing words Gil had said to her so often the last six months. This body, these curves, this woman in her arms felt like coming home. Like bread and wine and a kindling hearth after a long day of toil. Reaching down with one hand, she freed two buttons at the waist of Kaela’s trousers and slipped her hand inside.

Swollen flesh slicked with lust greeted her questing fingers. Sucking the skin at Kaela’s shoulder, Lianon found the rigid nub of her clit and flicked her fingertip across it.

"Ah, Lianon…" Kaela gasped, her bandaged hands buried clumsily in Lianon’s hair, guiding her head down to her breasts. Through the linen of Kaela’s shirt, Lianon took a pebbled nipple into her mouth, suckling delicately before moving to its twin. Her fingers slid further into Kaela’s slit, circling her opening. Slowly, carefully, she pushed one finger inside. Paused as the other woman’s inner muscles accustomed themselves to the invasion. Slid a little deeper.

"Lianon?" A thread of worry had woven into the arousal in Kaela’s voice.

Lianon lifted her head, caught Kaela’s gaze and held it. Saw the uncertainty there. She kept her finger where it was, and drew slow circles around Kaela’s clit with her thumb. "Do you trust me?" she whispered.

Forget the candidates, I vote for Lianon!


Purchase Bound by Steel here, or read another steamy excerpt here.

ETA: contest deadline is Friday, Oct 17, winner announced Saturday.

Review- A Whole New World by Anna Fallon

A Whole New World

by Anna Fallon
Jan 2007
Erotic Fantasy
E-book
Novella- 44 pages.
$3.00

Buy it Phaze, Fictionwise

Elisia Moore is opposed to her controlling husband dabbling in the darkarts. Although ready to take her life back into her own hands, Elisia cannot believe the adventure she is about to be thrown into.
Taken to the realm of the warrior where her every sexual fantasy can be catered for, Elisia ponders over her happiness and if there is indeed any life left for her in the earth realm.

Faced with the choice of sexual bliss with warrior Ramala and Mistress Deelilah will Elisia return home or stay to enjoy this whole new world.

More often than not, the offering of f/f content in e-book stories is totally lacking for me, in content and or writing, and I have to abandon a story. What doesn’t happen very often is starting a book and thinking, “Oh no, here we go again, a lame, poorly written story with nothing but sex” but then unexpectedly finding a sweet little gem. A Whole New World is just one of those diamonds in the rough, which totally surprised me, turned me on, and restored my faith that a nice story with f/f can be written.

Elisia, the heroine, is saved from her husband who turned himself into a monster, by Ramala, a warrior from the Inner Realm where souls go after earth and whose job is to save the Earth Realm from evil. Not only does he save her, he takes care of her afterwards by giving her the most intense sexual experience of her life. And because she survives it, she is considered to be "The One," his life mate and the person who will reign with him as leaders in the Inner Realm.

She wakes up from this sexual experience in the Inner Realm and meets Deelilah, a domme who is Ramala’s master and sexual teacher. Deelilah is also under the thumb of Marin, a nasty ass dude who roughly abuses her sexually, promising to let her go back to the Earth Realm to see her babies if she does his nasty bidding.

Marin needs Elisia's husband's potion book from the Earth Realm in order to control both the Inner and Earth Realms. So Deelilah has to convince Elisia to choose coming back to the Inner Realm with the book. The question is, can Ramala and Deelilah convince Elisia to choose the Inner Realm with their sexual prowess and love for her?

A Whole New World is a very short and sweet story even though the ending was very abrupt, leaving things open ended. Still, Anna Fallon managed to create and explain, without info dumping, an interesting fantasy world, as well as writing some interesting and complex characters.

Elisia, was a domme who tried to be a sub with her husband but was fed up with being his slave. She’s a very independent and open woman who really feels for Ramala and is very attracted to Deelilah, but also wants to find herself after a bad marriage.

Ramala is a very interesting combo. He’s definitely an alpha warrior, but he’s been trained by Mistress Deelilah to sexually please a woman and likes being her sub and obeying her. I mean really, who cannot fall in love with a strong dude whose priority is serving and pleasuring his woman sexually and with love. On top of that, he's philosophical. My inner new age hippy chick lit up like a Christmas tree as he ponders that there must be some cosmic meaning to his meeting "The One." He’s totally in love with Elisia and is ready to be her mate. He’s the perfect man.

Then there is Deelilah. Oooh… she’s a domme always dressed in leather, and is very caring and conscientious. She sacrifices never seeing her babies again by playing the evil Marin by allowing him to abuse her so she can destroy him in the end. She’s another interesting combo. While she’s a strong domme who orders Ramala around, when she seduces Elisia, who is totally open and attracted to Deelilah, she’s very gentle but firm with her, understanding that she’s a newbie who has never been with a woman before.

My only issue with this story, other than the abrupt ending, is that some of the euphemisms for genitals and the descriptive language for bodily fluids were a bit off-putting and odd sometimes. Words like tunnel for vagina, globes for ass cheeks, knob for cock and dripping pussy and so on, are just a wee bit too much for me and took me from the story sometimes.

Other than that, I loved the characters, fantasy world and general story telling, which left me with a nice warm feeling. I wish there were more stories like it out there. Even more so, I wished this was a longer story and that it was more developed as it had a lot of potential to be a good novel.

Sex rating: Orgasmic. m/f, BDSM tone, one very sweet, hot, juicy f/f first time deflowering scene.

Grade: B