"Multi-dimensional characters and good world-building"

Sienne comes from a world called Sudhra where sex is restricted and girls are trained in the sex arts. Once they reach legal age they are sold as sex slaves. On a neighboring world, Nordan, sex is unrestricted. The women there find it difficult to conceive so they are encouraged to have lots of sex with as many men as possible to increase their chances of pregnancy. Therefore, sex is shared openly.

Sienne's owner, Lord Cyrus, has given her as a gift to Lord Marken of Nordam. On Nordam the winters are long and cold and it is Sienne's job to keep Lord Marken warm and satisfy his sexual appetites. But she also has another purpose -- to spy on Nordam, learn their weaknesses, and report them back to Lord Cyrus. If she fails her family will be killed.

Lord Marken likes his new gift and treats her as an equal by allowing her to make choices she was never allowed on Sudhra. Sienne has always been treated as personal property and told her job is to serve and has never found the sex act pleasurable. Lord Marken wants to change this by showing her how to receive pleasure.

Marken and Sienne begin to fall in love and he promises to buy her freedom from Cyrus. However, he is unaware that Cyrus is blackmailing her into giving him information that could destroy Nordan. Will she betray the man she loves to save her family on Sudhra?

Ms. Bast has written a good first novel. The worlds of Nordan and Sudhra with their contrasts in sexual standards are the result of good world-building skills. The dialogue is good, the characters multidimensional, and the plot is well developed. I enjoyed the story and will look forward to reading further stories set in these worlds.

Rating: NC-17. Sensuality: oral sex, anal sex, group sex, voyeurism, MMF.

Reviewed by Angela Black for Sensual Romance.

Reviewed by Sensual Romance
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted August 19, 2003

Summary

Sienne, a sex slave from Sudhra, is delivered to the neighboring country of Nordan and presented to Lord Marken's hedonistic court as a diplomatic gift to entertain him over the long, harsh Nordan winter. Unbeknownst to Marken, she's been charged with the task of uncovering information about the Nordanese military. Her cruel Sudhraian keeper, Cyrus, will ensure she suffers dire consequences should she fail.

Sienne has never enjoyed the sexual act and Marken vows to train her to pleasure before winter's end. He also vows to loose the chains of slavery from around her mind and free her from Cyrus. Marken captures Sienne's heart, and incites her body to lusts she's never known. How can she bring herself to betray him?

How can she not when she's under Cyrus's threat?

Sexual Content: NC-17. Genre: fantasy.