Guest Review: Sacred Fate by Eresse

Eresse
Sacred Fate (Chronicles of Ylandre #1)
Liquid Silver Books, 2009

Backblurb:
In the dual-gendered realm of Ylandre, the great divide between the high-born True Bloods and the lower-ranked Half Bloods is deemed impassable by most. Rohyr Essendri dared to cross it when he took young Lassen Idana from his provincial town and made him his paramour. Lassen perforce learned how to navigate the intricate byways of life at court. What he never expected, however, was to fall in love with Rohyr, a most inadvisable and impractical thing to do when one’s lover is sovereign ruler of the land. But anything worth having is worth fighting for, both figuratively and, as Lassen discovers, literally speaking.

Contains hermaphrodism and explicit homoerotic sexual encounters.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M, SciFi/Fantasy, Hermaphrodism, Male Pregnancy, Mystery, Intrigue

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3 flames
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Guest review by Lis:

This review is one I requested of Janna. She received an e-mail full of squee about this book (and the sequel) and I all but begged her to let me write a review, because I think more people should read and enjoy this book. I wonder if your reaction to the blurb would be much the same as mine, because books with male pregnancies in it (or m-preg as it is called in the world of fanfiction) are the bane of my existence. There are a lot of things I don't mind, but m-preg has me shuddering everytime. So therefore when I read the blurb and came across the word 'duel-gendered' my reaction was “owh hell no.” However, the blurb got stuck in my head and when I heard several others so enthusiastic about this book, I got curious. I wanted to hate it from the start, but found I couldn't (dammit). Let me share with you why this book is so good.

The story is about Lassen en Rohyr who live in the fantasy world of Ylandre where there are no more females left and the men became dual-gendered. Lassen lives in the quiet fiefdom of Tal-Ereq where one day he becomes the lynchpin on negotiations between the crown (represented by its king, Rohyr) and the council (represented by his father or aba or adda). Lassen is to become the concubine of Rohyr, something he objects to at first but agrees to when he sees how concerned his adda is about this. This is but the start of a long complicated, intriguing, romantic, funny, hot and fantastic story that spans over a decade.

What I liked about this story is that this is not just a savage claim-and-conquer romance. Rohyr seduces Lassen and doesn't just claim him. While Lassen is not exactly given a choice in the matter, he comes to love Rohyr deeply and doesn't suffer from Stockholm-syndrome as I feared in the beginning. Over the course of this story both the characters of Lassen and Rohyr grow and they make their mistakes and overcome them, though not without difficulty and all the while going at it like bunnies or the equivalent of bunnies in Ylandre. There are several (political) conflicts throughout the story that need to be overcome, but are handled with grace.

Lassen is a gentle but strong and smart character. He may not be as physically strong as Rohyr, but he has his qualities. He adapts very well to his new situation, he quite sees through people and their plans and gossips, but he hates to upset others and only does so if it's for a just cause. That mildly irritated me sometimes, because throughout the story there are instances in which he just agrees or walks away when I would have thrown a bitchfight just for the heck of it. Rohyr on the other hand, has a temper and Lassen knows very well how to handle it and he has Rohyr ear, though he doesn't influence Rohyr for his own gain.

Rohyr is also very stubborn. Damn, they don't often make them as stubborn as Rohyr. Well maybe his half brother Dylen. He put the kingdom before all, even his own happiness at times. Lassen is the first thing or someone he chooses for himself and even then there are issues. Did I mention stubborn? Although it is nice to see that he grows and learns throughout the story.

In the beginning of this review I talked about m-preg and yes, that is included in the story. What I liked about how this author handled this issue is that she shapes the world around the 'issue.' It's not just men that get pregnant (that would just be iel!) but dual-gendered or hermaphroditic people. From the start it is made clear that there are no women in this world, they have been extinct for about a 1000 years, and they have to procreate somehow. I'm just so glad it's not egg. That would just be... *shudders*

If I have to look objectively at this story, something that is very hard to do because I like it so much, there are some issues. While this story has a good length, it is full of names and (political) history and it is hard to keep track of everything. At some points I compared this to Tolkien's Silmarillion with all the name throwing and historic recounts. Though it is also important to know and what makes it harder is that there are no characters with easy names like Michael or John to remember them by.

While I like the characters (haven't you guessed that yet) they can be classified as stereotypes. There, I said it. Not in a bad way, because as seen with many stories, it fits the tale to be told. In that regard I didn't mind the stereotypes of the good “guys” or the bad “guys.”

Eresse spins a detailed and engrossing story that will keep you on the edge of your seat or reading well past bedtime with lotsa hot hot hot man (hermaphroditic) sex that has you melting in a puddle of goo.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I really recommend this story. If I could order you to read it, I would *grin* Now go and get it and read! Run!

Linking:
Eresse’s website | weblog | on Goodreads
Buy Sacred Fate here

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Zombies and Romance? Do they match? Review of I Fell in Love with a Zombie by Sean Kennedy

Sean Kennedy
I Fell in Love with a Zombie
Dreamspinner Press, 2010

Genre & Keywords:
M/M, (post-)apocalyptic, horror, zombies, violence

Why I read it:
I received a copy from the publisher for review. I enjoyed Sean Kennedy’s other work and the zombie aspect piqued my curiosity.

Rating: 3.75 of 5 stars
Heat level: 1 of 3 flames

Backblurb:
Jay didn’t expect to be one of the very few survivors of the virus that decimated the country, leaving shambling, ravenous zombies behind. Fighting for his life amongst the dead, he keeps moving until the day he’s surrounded and facing his bloody end—and shockingly, another zombie saves him. But not just any zombie... it’s Dave, the first man Jay ever loved, and there’s something special about him even now, in the midst of the horror around them.

I Fell in Love with a Zombie is a part of the 2010 Daily Dose Set, Midsummer's Nightmare, which includes 30 M/M stories of supernatural romance that may feature an edge of suspense and heart-pounding fear; a taste of the paranormal worlds of ghosts, vampires, and werewolves; and even the stuff of nightmares and dreamscapes.

I Fell in Love with a Zombie is a novella written by the author of Tigers and Devils, one of my absolute favorite m/m romances. I adore Sean Kennedy’s writing and I love his sense of humor, also present in this very unusual story. The premise of I Fell in Love with a Zombie intrigued me immediately when I read the backblurb. I was curious how zombies could have a place in a romance story. It seemed an impossibility, because I’m one of those soppy romance readers who need a HEA or at least a HFN (Happy For Now) and I just couldn’t see it happening with a zombie.

But I guess Sean Kennedy did make it happen. Sort of. The ending can be seen as a HFN. Although I’m not quite convinced yet about their HEA. But I bet, if Mr. Kennedy decides to write a sequel to Jay’s and Dave’s story, he can make me believe in a happily ever after for these guys if he wants to. Maybe he doesn’t want to. Maybe he didn’t want to write a romantic love story. I can’t really tell for sure. It’s not very romantic what’s happening in Jay’s and Dave’s life but rather gruesome and horrific. Yet, a love story it is. Or isn’t it? Jay and Dave were lovers a long time ago and Jay considers Dave as the one that got away. And even when Dave can’t talk much, being a zombie and all, his behavior shows he cares for Jay. If we consider this a romance story then at least it isn’t a conventional one, that’s for sure.

Does it really matter? Not much, especially when we look at the other qualities of this novella. While reading the first pages - about the beginning of this incredible apocalyptic disease - I Fell in Love with a Zombie reminded me of a novel from José Saramago called Blindness. Here we also see a rapid spreading epidemic, which, in Saramago’s case, makes everyone blind. In Sean Kennedy’s novella it’s a swine flu like virus that causes people to die quickly and some of them to return as zombies.
Both stories show a fascination with how people will behave when put in extreme situations, when conventional rules of behavior don’t seem to apply any longer. Where Saramago’s novel turns into a more moralistic lesson on human behavior in general, Kennedy’s novella focuses mainly on the feelings and events of one individual who tries to survive and entertain hope for a better future. But both stories make you wonder how you would behave in an extreme situation like this. With a few strokes of his pencil Sean Kennedy paints a very believable and realistic threat to our modern society. And that realistic picture relentlessly invites a ‘what if’ question.

One of the other qualities of this story is the way it’s voiced through Jay in a first person POV. I enjoyed Jay’s narrative voice almost as much as Simon’s from Tigers and Devils. Jay’s view-point on things is witty, toned down and light. It makes all the horror bearable and even comical thanks to the way he describes the violent and gruesome occurrences. His voice makes this story a hopeful story. And I adore how Jay is interpreting Dave’s behavior; sometimes with so much humor I had to laugh out loud.
But the choice for this one-sided point of view in first person also means no insight at all in Dave’s thoughts and feelings, aside from Jay’s interpretations in that regard. Somehow Dave’s (absent) point of view seems so incredible intriguing to me. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a peek inside the head of a zombie, right? And maybe Dave’s POV would’ve added something that could’ve made me believe easier in their HEA. I guess, to convince me now, only a sequel to I Fell in Love with a Zombie will help... Just so Mr Kennedy knows what I’d like. ;)

In short, I really enjoyed I Fell in Love with a Zombie because of the wit and lightness of Jay’s narrative voice and the originality of the story’s setting and vision on society. The message of hope that spoke louder than the horrid events and the unusual communication between the heroes added to my appreciation. However, as a romantic story I found this novella was not completely convincing. I guess I need to know more about how a human and a zombie are going to work out their differences and their communication problems to believe in a happy future for Jay and Dave. It´s because they are such intriguing characters, that I would happily read a complete novel about them.

So, to answer the question in this post's title: Do zombies and romance match? I think they can, actually. Mr. Kennedy has shown me it’s not completely impossible. In fact, he has me wishing for a sequel to Jay’s and Dave’s story that I would buy and devour as soon as it would hit the shelves of the ebook store.

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What do you think? Can zombies be good heroes in romances? Would you read a romance in which one of the main characters is a zombie? If you already have, can you recommend a good one (m/m or m/f)?
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Linking:
Sean Kennedy’s website | blog | on Twitter| on Facebook | on Goodreads
Buy I Fell in Love with a Zombie here

Other books by this author:
Tigers and Devils - one of my all time favorite m/m romances, check out why here
Dash and Dingo: In Search of the Tasmanian Tiger, written with Catt Ford
Wings of Equity (steampunk novel, released last week)
For a complete list of Sean Kennedy’s short stories go here

Review of Captured by Julia Rachel Barrett

Julia Rachel Barrett
Captured
Sirene Publishing, 2010

Backblurb:
Mari never expects to find herself in a cage in a cargo hold on a spaceship. She quickly learns from her captors she's headed to the meat market. When they try to return her to hypersleep, she resists. After allowing her to stay awake, Mari realizes her survival depends on connecting with the male in charge, Ekkatt. She must make him see her as a sentient being or she will end up as dinner.
Ekkatt has never spoken to any human. They are valued for one thing, the money they bring at auction. The Attun race is vegetarian, but other species prize human flesh and bring in good money. Then the female with red hair speaks to him and forces him to admit she has a name. Mari throws Ekkatt's entire life into question, the biggest question...can he watch her sold to the highest bidder?

Genre & Keywords:
SciFi Romance, violence, kidnapping of humans, survival

Why I read it:
The author sent me the book as a present to cheer me up

Storyline:
A woman bonds with one of her male kidnappers who’s from another planet and never knew much about her race before. Mari shows Ekkatt that humans are sentient beings like him. She surprises him in more than one way and she on the other hand learns to see his softer, kind side. Together they run from the authorities of Ekkatt’s planet while they fall softly for each other.

My opinion in short:
I’ve hardly read any SciFi romances, but the ones I read I liked. Captured included. Mari’s and Ekkatt’s story drew me in like a moth to a candle. I was eager to learn more about this other world and Ekkatt’s and Mari’s romance was very addictive. I enjoyed switching from her to his perspective and thoughts from time to time so I could equally sympathize with both protags. All in all, Captured was a surprisingly believable, sweet love story that I adored. When all SciFi romances are written as well and convincingly as Julia Barrett's Captured, I might have discovered a new love.

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3 flames
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What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Mari is a feisty, smart and witty woman. I like how her survival mode kicks in and brings out her good qualities. She seems delicate and breakable to Ekkatt but she is very strong in fact. On top of that she has a good sense of humor and never complains. No wonder Ekkatt is at first intrigued and later totally smitten with her. She’s almost too perfect, but I loved her. Ekkatt is something else, he’s not human, does look a bit cat-like with his yellow eyes, and is huge. At first he doesn’t seem to be nice at all, but from the moment he risks his own life to save Mari he stole my heart. He’s a fun character because he doesn’t react as expected in a lot of situations and in the conversations with Mari. They make a sweet love couple that I would love to read more about.
I think Ms. Barrett is working on a sequel, but that'll tell Ekkatt's brother's story. I'm hoping we'll get a glimpse of Mari and Ekkatt as well.
• POV
The story is told in third person, alternated from Mari’s and Ekkatt’s point of view. This suits this story well. It makes both characters three dimensional and easy to empathize with, which is not unimportant when you’re dealing with an alien. ;)
• Plot
The plot is well developed and takes us from a dangerous situation, via some suspenseful moments to a happy ending, in the right pace. There are no annoying time gaps or huge jumps and all is told in chronological order. The world building is done gradually, nothing too overwhelming, but very convincing. And although a few questions remain unanswered, everything is totally credible, within the frame of the story. New developments and little twists and turns keep you reading until you’ve finished the book. The ending was maybe a bit abrupt, but that probably has more to do with the fact that I didn't want to say goodbye to this couple yet.
• Smexing
M/F. Human female and alien male, with a different but comparable anatomy. I was curious as hell how that would work out. But I had to wait, their attraction wasn't rushed and anticipation was built. Eventually they had really steamy sex and although Ekkatt turned out to be huge in every department, it did fit! Thank heavens that this difference in anatomy didn’t become cheap or putrid at all, because it easily could have. The smexy scenes were hot as well as tender and showed the H/h growing love.
• Writing style
It’s vivid and a nice variation of descriptions, thoughts and dialogues. It shows a good sense of humor and renders the characters feelings in all depth. Ms. Barrett’s writing kept me cleverly invested in her hero and heroine and produced an enjoyable suspense which kept me reading and reading. Her dialogues are witty and made me laugh out loud more than once.

Favorite scene/quote:
I enjoyed Ekkatt’s process of realizing that the leaders of his planet are not necessarily to be trusted. Their laws mean nothing to him anymore when he discovers they are based on false assumptions of the human kind. The next quote says it all:

“He’d come to enjoy the sensation of her beneath his fingers. He’d found pleasure in the silk of her hair, and he’d taken comfort in the smoothness of her skin. Ekkatt knew his own religious leaders would call such feelings a sin against nature. Their opinion on the subject had come to matter nothing to him. The little human, on the other hand, had come to matter a great deal.”

Linking:
Julia Barrett’s website | on Goodreads
Buy Captured here

Other books by Julia Rachel Barrett:
- Beauty and the Feast
- My Everything

PS: Julia posted about her new SciFi series, Daughters of Persephone, at her blog yesterday. The first two books will be released in July and I look forward to them. You can read an excerpt at Julia's place here.

Review of Hold by Zannie Adams

Zannie Adams
Hold
Ellora’s Cave Publishing, November 2007
Genre: Futuristic | SciFi
Rating: êêêê½
Heat level: ¹¹

I’m not a regular reader of futuristic or scifi romances, so reading Hold was a rare experience for me. I let a few blogreviews seduce me to try this book and I must admit that it wasn’t a bad read, really not bad at all! The story is situated on a prison planet, were Riana is sentenced to because of a minor crime. Prisoners are always sentenced for life in this futuristic world and life on the prison planet is very primitive where only the fittest can survive. Life is especially hard on women and the only way Riana can survive is to give herself to one of the strongest man in return for protection. She chooses the silent, good-looking loner Cain. He watched her with mild interest when she was dropped into the Hold. And although he is a loner, he likes her spirit and drive, so he stakes his claim on her. Having been a prisoner for more than a year and completely alone, he decides she would satisfy his physical needs at the very least.

In this unusual world of violence and danger Riana and Cain start to live together and end up liking each other, at first only physically but in the end their feelings involve love. It immediately clicks physically between them: when they’re having sex many orgasms are involved. These scenes are pretty hot and sweet at the same time. And they do have sex a lot, because what else can they do during these endless days of imprisonment. But Cain is also working on some sort of device with which he plans to escape the Hold. Zannie Adams put a little bit of extra suspense in the story with that. But the attraction of this story was mostly in the way these two kind people evolved in their relationship that started out with total dependency on Riana’s part and cold-heartiness on Cain’s part. With the growing of their feelings of love, their insecurities grow as well, because of the situation they are in. A situation that’s hardly suitable for romance, of course.

Zannie Adams knows how to dose the elements of her story. The plot is exciting and perfectly paced, not too slow, not too fast, just right. And her characters are portrayed well, so it’s impossible not to feel for them or fall in love with them. She tells the story solely through Riana’s eyes. I would have liked to read from Cain’s perspective once or twice, but I understand that that would have killed a little bit of the suspense of the story. Ms. Adams wrote a few contemporary erotic romances and I’m definitely gonna give them a try, because Hold was really a great first acquaintance with her work!

Back Blurb:

Convicted by the Coalition of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to life on a prison planet — no order, no safety, just a primitive hold filled with criminals vying for dominance. The only way Riana can survive is to give herself to the strongest man there in return for protection. By desperate instinct, she chooses a mysterious, handsome loner named Cain. She offers him her body and can only hope he'll be able to protect her from the other inmates who circle her like beasts.
She never dreams she will come to take pleasure in Cain. Or want to offer him her heart as well as her body.