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The Eburosi Chronicles #2-4.1
The Horse Mistress: Books 2 - 4
Carivel, Andoc, and Senovo have defied convention by declaring their love for each other. Carivel is a pariah—a female who has been quietly living as a man. Senovo has been hiding his shape-shifting curse, believing the wolf inside him to be a vicious killer. When their secrets are finally revealed to the village elders, they fear dragging Andoc down with them. Next in line to become Draebard’s tribal chieftain, Andoc risks his position by continuing with such an unorthodox relationship. With invasion looming, the three lovers can no longer live quietly in the shadows of the village of Draebard. Now, they must work together to organize a defense against the terrifyingly powerful Alyrion Empire.
Suspenseful and steamy, The Horse Mistress: Books 2 - 4 tell the story of forbidden love and loyalty against a rich backdrop of magic, history, and impending war.
For a limited time, save 50% when you buy this bundle, compared to the cost of buying Books 2, 3, and 4 individually! The Horse Mistress boxset also contains an exclusive series epilogue not available anywhere else— Return of the Wolf .
Author's note: This series contains descriptions of violence and graphic sex, including sex between men, sex with multiple partners (MMF), and elements of fully consensual BDSM within an established, loving relationship. Additionally, it deals with issues of gender identity and gender fluidity. It is intended for a mature audience.
Suspenseful and steamy, The Horse Mistress: Books 2 - 4 tell the story of forbidden love and loyalty against a rich backdrop of magic, history, and impending war.
For a limited time, save 50% when you buy this bundle, compared to the cost of buying Books 2, 3, and 4 individually! The Horse Mistress boxset also contains an exclusive series epilogue not available anywhere else— Return of the Wolf .
Author's note: This series contains descriptions of violence and graphic sex, including sex between men, sex with multiple partners (MMF), and elements of fully consensual BDSM within an established, loving relationship. Additionally, it deals with issues of gender identity and gender fluidity. It is intended for a mature audience.
687 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2016
25 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Steffan
86 books503 followersUSA Today bestselling author R. A. Steffan lives in New Mexico, where the sunsets paint the mountains purple, and roadrunners roam the desert endlessly in search of their coyote victims. When she’s not busy writing stories about people loving each other in all sorts of different and interesting ways, she can be found taking care of her small menagerie of critters.
A rebel to the core, she is currently sticking it to the man by illegally harvesting graywater from the kitchen and bathroom sinks to water trees outside. This fearless disregard for societal norms extends to her writing, as well. There, you will find polyamory along with straight, gay, bisexual, and non-gender conforming love of all flavors. You will also find families of choice, profound friendships, adventure, danger, and good triumphing over evil.
That, and sex. Lots of sex. Most of which is not the vanilla variety.
If any of that appeals, sign up at http://www.rasteffan.com/ to get a free starter library featuring the first books in several of her series. You can also follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RASteffanAut..., or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RA_Steffan.
A rebel to the core, she is currently sticking it to the man by illegally harvesting graywater from the kitchen and bathroom sinks to water trees outside. This fearless disregard for societal norms extends to her writing, as well. There, you will find polyamory along with straight, gay, bisexual, and non-gender conforming love of all flavors. You will also find families of choice, profound friendships, adventure, danger, and good triumphing over evil.
That, and sex. Lots of sex. Most of which is not the vanilla variety.
If any of that appeals, sign up at http://www.rasteffan.com/ to get a free starter library featuring the first books in several of her series. You can also follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RASteffanAut..., or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RA_Steffan.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 19, 2019
A different take on fantasy
This box set is the excellent follow on from the first book in The Horse Mistress series, which is available for free. The Horse Mistress books are the first section in the overarching saga of The Eburosi. This means that this section of the saga told via Carivel, Senovo and Andoc is complete.
The trio faced many obstacles in their lives before meeting each other and once they met the trials are not over. They face the resentment of their fellow villagers, the anger of Volya, the chief and the prospect of war with the Empire. It is the friendship and loyalty of the villagers from Meren that help the trio immensely through their trials with their own villagers and against the enemy.
So much happens in this box set that is impossible to reveal much without spoiling so much of the plot. This box set is plot heavy in relation to the first book, which established the characters and their relationship with each other. It takes all three working together and supporting each other, even when they have to be apart for the sake of their community to even hope to bring a successful outcome against tremendous odds. All three have to work to their strengths, Andoc with is strategic brain and gift for leadership, Carivel’s work with horses and her ability to help with weapons innovation and Senovo’s ability to change shape into a wolf.
I really liked how the author had all three working together but separately some of the time. They went and did their own thing, but always coming back to each other for solace. I also liked how when one would get wrapped up in their own troubles the other two would let them get on with it for a while and then yank them back to take a break and look after themselves whilst taking time to bond again.
I also liked how though this a fantasy saga and the characters do go on journey’s, they are not longer than a few weeks and they are to meet with other people who can help before returning home. So often in fantasy the hero goes on long journey’s and become Heroes (with a capital H!) Their abilities transform. This book takes the heroes on a journey that is more about their standing within their community. It is about protecting home by staying there and doing the hard work. It isn’t all about fighting, it’s about treaties and friendships and working together to develop new strategies and weapons and above all else their identities. Throughout these books they all come to terms with who they are and what they have to offer those around them and that is a much more epic tale than fighting monsters and casting spells.
This box set is the excellent follow on from the first book in The Horse Mistress series, which is available for free. The Horse Mistress books are the first section in the overarching saga of The Eburosi. This means that this section of the saga told via Carivel, Senovo and Andoc is complete.
The trio faced many obstacles in their lives before meeting each other and once they met the trials are not over. They face the resentment of their fellow villagers, the anger of Volya, the chief and the prospect of war with the Empire. It is the friendship and loyalty of the villagers from Meren that help the trio immensely through their trials with their own villagers and against the enemy.
So much happens in this box set that is impossible to reveal much without spoiling so much of the plot. This box set is plot heavy in relation to the first book, which established the characters and their relationship with each other. It takes all three working together and supporting each other, even when they have to be apart for the sake of their community to even hope to bring a successful outcome against tremendous odds. All three have to work to their strengths, Andoc with is strategic brain and gift for leadership, Carivel’s work with horses and her ability to help with weapons innovation and Senovo’s ability to change shape into a wolf.
I really liked how the author had all three working together but separately some of the time. They went and did their own thing, but always coming back to each other for solace. I also liked how when one would get wrapped up in their own troubles the other two would let them get on with it for a while and then yank them back to take a break and look after themselves whilst taking time to bond again.
I also liked how though this a fantasy saga and the characters do go on journey’s, they are not longer than a few weeks and they are to meet with other people who can help before returning home. So often in fantasy the hero goes on long journey’s and become Heroes (with a capital H!) Their abilities transform. This book takes the heroes on a journey that is more about their standing within their community. It is about protecting home by staying there and doing the hard work. It isn’t all about fighting, it’s about treaties and friendships and working together to develop new strategies and weapons and above all else their identities. Throughout these books they all come to terms with who they are and what they have to offer those around them and that is a much more epic tale than fighting monsters and casting spells.
August 10, 2018
I liked Book 1..Book 2 was ok, by book 3 I was just bored. I may finish later
November 20, 2016
Overall, this was an excellently written series. I listened to the series on Audible, and the narrator did a wonderful job with a series that had many characters. The author had an interesting take on a three-way relationship involving two men and a transgender woman. The characters, as individuals, and their relationship evolved over the course of the four books, with the author being quite deliberate in her portrayal of the relationship as one truly between three people. This level of relationship equality was taken, nearly to the extreme, in that none of her detailed scenes of intimacy involved only two of the three. It was almost as if two of them couldn't be intimate and truly in love if the third wasn't present to complete the bond.
There was also a lot of time, throughout the series, spent on describing journeys from one village to another. And while the author's description of each leg of the journey and the surrounding environs were well done, it took up a lot of time in the book, especially the final book. The first three books were all about the pending defense of the island from an emperor and his powerful army, yet the final confrontation was but a tiny part of the book. Again, well written, even if from an enemy soldier's POV, but far too short. After having invested four books into the buildup for the war, I just wanted a bit more and from the heroine's POV, especially since Carivel narrated the entire series. The extra story added for the audiobook version was nice as an epilogue of sorts, which eased some of my disappointment wtih the way the series actually ended.
There was also a lot of time, throughout the series, spent on describing journeys from one village to another. And while the author's description of each leg of the journey and the surrounding environs were well done, it took up a lot of time in the book, especially the final book. The first three books were all about the pending defense of the island from an emperor and his powerful army, yet the final confrontation was but a tiny part of the book. Again, well written, even if from an enemy soldier's POV, but far too short. After having invested four books into the buildup for the war, I just wanted a bit more and from the heroine's POV, especially since Carivel narrated the entire series. The extra story added for the audiobook version was nice as an epilogue of sorts, which eased some of my disappointment wtih the way the series actually ended.
December 18, 2016
This series has lots of things I like in my fantasy stories: characters in gender non-traditional roles, animal shapeshifters, nature-based cultures banding together to prevail against hegemonic empires and the military industrial complex, and much more.
I found this series entirely captivating and enjoyable overall, and I also want to just mention a couple moments that deeply touched me in a very personal way. When Carivel and one of her lovers were forced into a handfasting ceremony, their discussion of potential pregnancy that could result from the hetero coupling required of the ceremony was unexpectedly personal to me. I found myself identifying so strongly with Carivel in an area where I have never before seen myself represented in fiction. The solution they came up with was a huge relief to me because I wasn't sure I could've kept reading otherwise. I was a little more prepared to feel over emotional when the trio got their unconventional handfasting, but it was still incredibly moving. Representation in fiction is SO important. :)
I found this series entirely captivating and enjoyable overall, and I also want to just mention a couple moments that deeply touched me in a very personal way. When Carivel and one of her lovers were forced into a handfasting ceremony, their discussion of potential pregnancy that could result from the hetero coupling required of the ceremony was unexpectedly personal to me. I found myself identifying so strongly with Carivel in an area where I have never before seen myself represented in fiction. The solution they came up with was a huge relief to me because I wasn't sure I could've kept reading otherwise. I was a little more prepared to feel over emotional when the trio got their unconventional handfasting, but it was still incredibly moving. Representation in fiction is SO important. :)
December 25, 2019
I started out so intrigued by the exploration of gender identity in the first book, but the second in the Horse Mistress series is more about politics and dealing with horrific events and relational development between the 3 protagonists. It is also excellent and I've already started the 3rd book. A unique series and very well written!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews