Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Review/Flame Seeker/Berkley Trade





Author: Kay Danella
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Genre: Erotic Fantasy (Menage M/F/M)
Publication Date: December 2009
Print ISBN: 978-0425230824
eBook ISBN: 978-1101151754

Length: 384 Pages
Format: Print
Purchase: Amazon    Barnes and Noble

Blurb:

The eldest daughter of a clan of perfumers, Alithia must secure her family’s endangered livelihood by retrieving an ancient relic in the fabled north of the neighboring mountain realm. But the rules and tradition of Hurranni society forbid her from making the journey alone. Alithia must take a shield pair as husbands.


With many competitors vying for her hand, Alithia proposes a contest: those who can best pleasure her, wins. The victors are Taith and Phelan. Two strong and able men from an unknown clan, their own beliefs play havoc with the woman they both want. As two societies are joined in a tenuous union, their quest begins.

As emotions run high and ecstasy runs wild, Alithia, Taith, and Phelan are bound to together by the dangers of the journey, by a clash of cultures more intense than they ever imagined, and by a twist of fate that will change their lives forever.

My Review:

I liked this book, it was a change of pace for an erotic book.  The focus was more on the relationships between the three individuals and on the world building of this particular fantasy book.

The three main characters in the book have one thing in common, they all come from a society where women are revered.  The difference that they face is that in Alithia's clan, the women make the decisions and men are very disposable, they don't have long term marriages and use marriage contracts to determine the length of any union.  Taith and Phelan come from a clan where there aren't as many women, so they grow up in homes where there are 2 fathers and one mother.  The mother is revered but doesn't make all of the decisions and their marriages are for life. 

Alithia also believes that she worships a different "Goddess" than the "Lady" that the men follow.  It is interesting to watch them realize that their clans may not be so different after all.  If I found any fault with this novel it was that the love that grows between the three characters isn't really examined or a main part of the plot.  It is only towards the end of the book that the relationship is considered by Alithia as she comes to understand that she does in fact want a different relationship for herself than what is the norm in her clan.  It is also at near the end that the issues that have haunted Taith from childhood and that are alluded to in the book, are resolved.

This was a good first book by Ms. Danella and I'm curious to see if she will visit this particular world and these characters again in another book.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars






 FTC Disclosure:  This book was purchased by the reviewer.  No financial remuneration was exchanged.

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