Sally Bend's Blog, page 36

Book Review: Eli Book Two – The Corruption by B.J. Frazier & Jessie Spectre (erotica)

Title: Eli Book Two – The Corruption
Author: B.J. Frazier & Jessie Spectre
Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Male

The Seduction, the first book of the Eli series by B.J. Frazier & Jessie Spectre, was one of those stories that kind of sneaks up on you, teases you with its secrets, and cracks the closet door open for sweet young Eli Shaw. With The Corruption, the second book, we begin to get longer glimpses and deeper hints as to those secrets as the closet door swings wide open and Eli immerses himself in his newfound excitement.

There’s a lot about this book I can’t really get into without spoiling the story for readers who’ve yet to indulge, but there are a few aspects I am delighted to talk about – starting with its androgyny. When she sees him struggling with Bernie’s inconsistent attentions, Eli’s landlady thrusts him into a bizarre whirlwind of a makeover that accentuates his softness and blurs his masculinity. It’s like a feminization fantasy, but carefully orchestrated to just step over the gender line, not leap full-on into the other end of the spectrum. That androgyny pops up again later in the book, with the reveal that a secondary character does leap back and forth between genders, helping Eli to impress his old roommate while still hiding his secrets.

As for Bernie, there’s such a mix of danger and delight within him that I really have no idea how far the series will go, or in what direction it will take him and Eli. We definitely see some shadows of dominance here, some exhibitionist commands that allow Eli to explore more of his new desires, especially as it comes time for him to start making deliveries . . . but I shall say no more!

Like the first book, this installment continues to engage the curious cast of characters and personalities as it shifts into more explicit sexuality and kink, but never loses the sweet thrill of first-time discovery. Eli has already grown so much in just two stories, and while I have my thoughts of where I’d like to see him go, I’m quiet content to be surprised.

Rating:  

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

While you’re on Amazon, if you’d like to support my stories, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review? 

Enjoy!

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

While you’re on Amazon, if you’d like to support my stories, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review? 

Enjoy!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

My choice for this week is a cozy little tale of high fantasy, first queer loves, and second-hand books.

Bookshops & Bonedust

by Travis Baldree
Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Paperback and eBook, 352 pages
November 7, 2023 by Tor

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.

What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Goodreads

Book Review: Hands of the Morri by Heather K. O’Malley (fantasy)

Title: Hands of the Morri
Author: Heather K. O’Malley
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female

Hands of the Morri is a truly wondrous book. It’s a rollicking fantasy novel, a strong tale of feminism and feminine friendship, a sweet romance, and a very different coming-of-age story. There’s magic and mythology, sweeping action scenes, and a clever narration trick that I’ll say more about in a moment. Heather K. O’Malley drops us deep into her world, holding back some answers or insights until we’re a few chapters in, and while that unsettled me a bit and had me wondering what I was reading, I quickly came to appreciate her narrative approach.

What drew me to the story was the promise of a young man abused because of his gender, who joins up with an all-female group of warriors, and who comes to be recognized as a Lost Sister. Female-fronted epic fantasy with a transgender protagonist? Sign me up! That said, I was initially disappointed in how the story approached the transgender angle, almost feeling as if it were glossed over, disregarding the experience of struggling with your gender, until we got the acknowledgment I was looking for:

This change and the time spent becoming her new self had broken free long forgotten memories as a little, running about the village, trying on a friend’s dress and declaring that she was a girl…But she was found now, in the skin she should have always worn, more whole by the day.

Not only does O’Malley address the gender issue, but she makes it significant without falling into the trap of making this a story about gender. I loved the idea of Lost Sisters, the aspect of being touched by the Goddess, and loved even more that women like Asche were wholly accepted and embraced by the Hands. That simplicity speaks volumes.

The other thing that unsettled me a bit at first was the clever narration trick I mentioned, making a raven named Nibs a POV character. It made for some awkward reading initially, but the more we settled into the story, and the more of a character Nibs became, the more I loved it. His bond with Asche is integral to the story, and watching them learn and grow together is a delight. He’s used for comic relief at times, no doubt, but never at his expense – he’s a companion, a friend, and a hero, and the Hands embrace him as easily and enthusiastically as they do Lost Sisters.

As for this being a feminist story, it is indeed feminist to its very core, but never in an overbearing or preachy way. This is a story about women in a man’s world, following a Goddess in a world of Gods, who follow a traditionally feminine purpose in protecting the weak and wounded, but who do so in the traditionally masculine role of warriors. It’s not so much that the story subverts or challenges gender roles and gender norms as it simply disregards them. Oh, sure, it acknowledges the sexist arrogance of men who underestimate women, thinking of them in terms of objects, but the women aren’t looking to prove men wrong, they’re simply living life as they choose.

A pleasant surprise that grew on me more and more with each chapter, Hands of the Morri is a fantastic read that I hope is only the first of many in this world. I need more Asche and Nibs in my life!

Rating:

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

While you’re on Amazon, if you’d like to support my stories, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review? 

Enjoy!

Book Review: The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon (fantasy)

Title: The Gilded Crown
Author: Marianne Gordon
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female

I think my problems with this book start with the cover blurb. When you’re comparing yourself to The Priory of the Orange Tree, one of my favorite books of the last few years, you’re setting certain expectations. That was an epic fantasy in every sense of the word, beautifully told, and utterly compelling. It had a very mature exploration of romance between women, a relationship that felt natural and significant – a slow-burn that developed into fires-of-passion, and I loved it.

Sadly, The Gilded Crown lacks the depth, maturity, or significance of Priory. It’s a much thinner tale that, despite its categorization as Adult Fantasy, feels very much Young Adult. While it has emotion, it shies away from the visceral horror of death – a key aspect of the book – and that takes away from its impact. As for the central relationship, it’s a tentative thing that goes out of its way to suggest it may be more tied to the price of resurrection than any romance or passion, making it seem a forced sort of tease that’s structured so as to be easily dismissed. I won’t call it queer-baiting because there is another relationship that’s much more definitively accepted as queer, but the fact that it’s secondary lessens the impact.

Without the expectations of Priory, this is an okay read, but one that I likely would not have picked up otherwise. It has interesting roots, and plenty of opportunity to explore some very deep questions of faith and morality, of religion versus mythology, but it never does more than ask questions. There was a point halfway through where I thought it was beginning to turn, which is all that kept me going, but the exploration never goes any deeper. Ultimately, it’s a frustrating read that doesn’t quite seem to know where it’s headed or, more importantly, why.

Rating:

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

While you’re on Amazon, if you’d like to support my stories, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review? 

Enjoy!

Book Review: Eli Book One – The Seduction by B.J. Frazier & Jessie Spectre (erotica)

Title: Eli Book One – The Seduction
Author: B.J. Frazier & Jessie Spectre
Publication Date: November 11, 2022
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Male

The Seduction, the first book of the Eli series by B.J. Frazier & Jessie Spectre, is one of those stories that kind of sneaks up on you. Almost as soon as we’re introduced to Eli Shaw, we just know he’s blissfully oblivious to the truth of his own sexuality. He’s pining for a girl who is clearly using him, paying far too much attention to his hunky, well-hung roommate, and never questioning any of it.

We know there’s a moment of hurt coming, a broken heart at the very least, a brutal public humiliation at the very worst, but we also see opportunity all around him. How will he recognize it? Where will it lead him? Who will it be with? Those are the questions this opening volume begins to explore, and the answers are fabulous.

There’s such a curious cast of characters and personalities here, with surprises to be found in each scene. You really get the sense that Frazier & Spectre have built a world around Eli, especially as we get hints as to the truth of his new job, his new romance, and his new friends. Bernie, the catalyst behind Eli’s world of opportunity, is a kindly sort of mentor who excites all sorts of feelings, but there are also glimpses of a darker edge beneath his personality that Eli is too naive to see. And then there’s Clem, Eli’s new landlady, whose stern exterior raises all sorts of questions, but whom I suspect may have some tenderness still to be revealed.

There are some explicit sexual moments in the story, a few of which are even a bit kinky, but they’re also full of tenderness and the thrill of discovery. We see Eli emerge and grow, begin his journey into something new, something more, and we have 4 more books ahead to see where it leads.

Rating:  

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Spirit of the Wood by Kristen Britain

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

My choice for this week is not the anxiously awaited final novel of the Green Rider saga, but still an excellent way to mark the series’ 25th anniversary.

Spirit of the Wood

by Kristen Britain
Adult, Fantasy
Hardcover and eBook, 208 pages
November 7, 2023 by DAW

This short novel set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Green Rider series tells the backstory of fan-favorite character Laren Mapstone

Perfect for longtime Green Rider fans eager for more of the world or new readers discovering the realm of Sacoridia for the first time, this action-packed, feminist fantasy is a must-read for lovers of the genre.

After years of leading the battle against the vicious Darrow Raiders, Lieutenant-Rider Laren Mapstone has built a fortress around herself to conceal her emotions and the deep scars she carries. When she is made mentor to Tavin Bankside, a Green Rider trainee on his first message errand, her cold and brooding exterior quickly earns her the moniker the “Ice Lady.”

Only after Laren is severely wounded in an attack on the North Road by a gang of bandits—including some former Darrow Raiders with vengeance on their minds—do the fortress walls fall. Even as they seek refuge from danger in a Rider waystation, Tavin’s natural empathic gift leaves him vulnerable to the assault of the lieutenant’s emotions. Tavin must save Lieutenant Mapstone’s life and master his empathic gift before it destroys them both.

However, an ancient power lurks deep within the Green Cloak, and its aid or hindrance could mean survival for the Riders or the downfall of Sacoridia and all the free lands.

Goodreads