Prince of Silk and Thorns by Cherry Dare

18292515Title: Prince of Silk and Thorns

Series:  Previously: A Serial: The Prince’s Defiant Slave

Author: Cherry Dare

Genre:
  BDSM/Historical Fantasy

Length: Novel (280 pages)

Publisher: Melusine Press (August 4th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts

Blurb: Prince Alar is notorious… and tormented.

The prince’s decadence is as famous as his extraordinary beauty. Rumor holds that he murdered his own brother to get one step closer to the throne. Some believe him to be the son of a fallen angel. But beneath his icy exterior, the prince burns with secret guilt… and untapped passion.

Farm boy Garin is innocent… and reckless.

Garin is shocked when Prince Alar rides into his village and demands that the young men strip for his inspection… so he can select one as his new slave! To protect his brother, Garin volunteers, leaving his peaceful village– and his innocence– behind. But even naked and chained, he is no helpless victim.

At the palace, Garin discovers a new world of decadent sex, dangerous intrigue, and devastating passion. But from the moment the arrogant prince puts a collar around Garin’s throat and claims him as his own, the men are bound together in more ways than one.

From sadistic sex games to tender caretaking, from erotic awakenings to a deadly gladiatorial match, their journey together pushes both men to their physical and emotional limits… and beyond.

A novel of the passion that consumes the love that sustains, and the ties that bind.

This erotic romance is intended for mature readers. It contains graphic scenes of gay sex and gay BDSM.

“Prince of Silk and Thorns” was originally published in serialized form under the title of “The Prince’s Defiant Slave.” It contains the complete text of the series, but has been corrected and revised, and some new scenes have been added.

Product Link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-princeofsilkandthorns-1268326-147.html

Reviewer:   GiGi

Review: I must say I’ve always rooted for the bad boys, had a thing for dark, dominate and dangerous and this steamy novel fits that bill. Even in the opening scenes where the main character Prince Alar seems ruthless, I warm up to him. Throughout the story, as Garin shows his willingness to serve, and protect, the author reveals Alar’s softer side all the while the wicked is still there, a hard front to protect what’s his.

The BDSM content includes pain, public displays, discipline, and obvious master/slave scenarios. I thoroughly enjoy it when the hard and wicked Alar shows that he cares for his slave by treating his wounds himself and keeping Garin protected in his own quarters.

This is also a fantasy/historical, in days of Prince’s, Kings, Queens, and all the court intrigues that abound. The plot surrounding the fight for power is entertaining and keeps the story moving right along at a brusque and tantalizing pace.

If you like, romantic tales of kings and courts, along with some very hot BDSM, this book is for you! I’ll certainly read it again!

All Mine by Marie Medina

All_Mine__76134.1359490488.432.648Title: All Mine

Series: Tales of the Highwaymen 3

Author: Marie Medina

Genre: MM / Fantasy

Length: Short Story

Publisher: Evernight Publishing (January 28, 2013)

Reviewer: Thommie

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts

Blurb: Theodore has already been disappointed in love twice, and he isn’t looking for any more heartache. So when the handsome Nicholas, who happens to be suffering under a curse placed by Theodore’s mischievous godmother, informs Theodore that his love is the only cure, Theodore refuses to believe it. But Nicholas knows from their very first kiss that Theodore is the man for him. He isn’t going to give up until he convinces Theodore their love is what they’ve both spent years longing for.

Product Link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/all-mine-by-marie-medina/

Review: A nice short story All Mine follows Theodore and Nicholas. Well mostly Nicholas’ desperate attempts to convince Theodore that they are meant to be together.

Quite a funny read actually, in the middle of a kingdom where the men of the story remind us of Robin Hood, and sorceresses curse handsome young men out of spite, curses that only true love can break.

I liked it, a lot. Theodore has to overcome his fear, after all he has lost love twice, and now an arrogant, gorgeous young man tells him he will fall in love with him. Theodore tries to make sense of the situation and feels once again as if he has no choice in his life. Like everything is slipping out of his control. But, truth is, Nicholas is irresistible and as much as he tries Theodore cannot escape fate…or love.

So, if you love a nice fairytale, with lots of love and a bit of romance this is a nice quick read for you.

 

Ash and Echoes by Augusta Li

Title: Ash and Echoes

Series: Blessed Epoch 01

Author: Augusta Li

Genre: High Fantasy, M/M/M, Medieval setting

Length: Super Novel (350pgs)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (22nd June 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: For the past few years Yarroway L’Estrella has lived in exile, gathering arcane power, but that power came at a price. Now it’s time for him to do his duty: his uncle, the king, needs him to escort Prince Garith to his wedding, a union that will create an alliance between the two strongest countries in the known world. But Yarrow isn’t the prince’s only guard. A whole company of knights is assigned to the duty and Yarrow’s not sure he trusts their leader.

Knight Duncan Purefroy isn’t sure he trusts Yarrow either, but after a bizarre occurrence during their travels, they have no choice but to work together—especially since the incident also reveals a disturbing secret, one that might threaten the entire kingdom. But will it ultimately work in their favor?

When a third member joins the precarious alliance, it seems to cement the bonds between all three men. But the arrangement isn’t perfect: Yarrow knows the power inside him and fears getting too close. The mysterious newcomer was raised to believe love and trust are weaknesses. And Duncan struggles to accept them as they are. Saving their home will take everything they have—including the fragile relationship they’ve built.

Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3065

Review: Yarrow is called upon to escort his cousin to his wedding. It is something that he would rather not do, but for his aunt he will. It is a journey that brings him into contact with Duncan, a Knight who thinks little of him and Sasha, an assassin who could end up betraying them. It is a journey that brings danger, betrayal, political intrigue and exposes secrets and all three men have to band together to survive and expose the truth.

This is an absolute must read if you love high fantasy.  Whoop, so happy! *little dance*. Yarrow is a magic user, the most powerful magic user of the time. But, Yarrow has a secret that makes him dangerous and he can’t trust anyone. So, he travels by himself keeping a distance from those around him… until he meets Duncan and then Sasha. But how can he tell them his secret without losing them both? Duncan is a Knight, he will do his duty and make sure his charges reach their destination, but Yarrow calls to something inside him and then Sasha does as well. But, he hates Sasha for how he conducts his life and now Duncan is confused about his forbidden feelings. Sasha can’t love, it was trained out of him at a young age, but Yarrow causes him to begin to question what he has learnt and Duncan drives him crazy and it ends up making Sasha make a choice that shouldn’t be a choice. After all, he is a cold-blooded assassin.

So, this is high fantasy at its highest and it is beautifully done. The world building is great, the backgrounds of the characters are well done and give us enough information to relate to them and the storyline and plot is wonderful. Although Yarrow is a powerful magic user, none of his magical scenes are overdone and there are even times when you think, he could have used more. But, as you learn, there is a high price he has to pay if he uses the most powerful magic. So, you can understand why he tries to limit what he does. The main storyline is quite simple get the prince to his wedding. But, it is quickly quite apparent that there are plans afoot to derail the wedding and then the betrayals begin and the three men have to band together to ensure the prince lives and to save the kingdom.

There is a lot going on in this book with some interesting twists and turns. There are secrets that come out, political intrigue, betrayal, murders, traps, pursuits, battles, confrontations, lies and love. The relationship between Yarrow, Sasha and Duncan is complex and far from easy. There is plenty of hot sex, but these three men each have their own problems that they have to work through before they can fully accept the others. and Yarrow’s problem is a doozy. You do not want to miss the fighting scenes or the battle scenes because they are brilliant, all the attention to detail was great and I loved it (have I mentioned I’m a bit Blood Thirsty). I loved each of the MCs as they were all completely different, with completely different values and attitudes towards things, so much potential conflict between them.

This is not the book to read if you want a nice light romance. The romance is hard going, but well-earned. The storyline is intertwined with danger and betrayal from all directions, the characters all have problems but aren’t too angsty and the action is great. The ending is one that leaves you wishing that the next book was already published so you can continue the journey.

So, I recommend this to anyone who loves high fantasy, difficult romances, hot sex, difficult journeys, betrayal, secrets, lies, action, battles, some bloody gore and three very intriguing heroes… oh, and an ending that will make you grit your teeth and scream silently for the next book.

 

Dragon Hatching by J. B. McDonald

Title: Dragon Hatching

Series: Dragon Series 03

Author: J.B. McDonald

Genre: Fantasy

Length: Short (57pgs)

Publisher: Torquere Press (15th November 2011)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rawting: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Becoming a host for a parasitic dragon wasn’t part of the plan. Actually, there wasn’t really any plan to begin with, but when the dragon egg hatches, Ashe figures it’s time to come up with one.

Katsu’s plans are failing miserably. His vast medical knowledge isn’t helping Ashe’s dragon situation, he’s having problems staying detached, and the other mercenaries are concerned about their life-force being sucked dry and want Ashe to leave. Katsu is determined that if Ashe leaves, so will he. First, though, he has to make sure that his people aren’t killed in battle… something they seem determined to do.

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_91&products_id=3412

Review: Ashe has a little problem, a baby dragon has become attached to him and it could kill him. Katsu is trying his best to help Ashe but his best isn’t enough.

Ashe and Katsu are back in this installment and they face even bigger difficulties than before.  Ashe has somehow managed to get himself in trouble again.  When the leader says he must leave to protect everyone else his lover, Katsu, declares he will leave too. There isn’t much world building in this book as it has been done in other books, but you get a very medieval feel from the book.

Ashe and Katsu’s relationship is very close but neither will say to the other that they love them.  Even though it is obvious that they do. I really like the way these two interact and they are just perfect for each other. The story-line is cool and it doesn’t miss a beat. I love how we keep getting installments about these two that just work perfectly. I have to admit because I have read the other two books in this Dragon series it was easy for me to fall back into their relationship and how they treat each other.  For someone who hasn’t read any of the previous books I think their relationship would confuse people.  So I suggest that the previous books are read first.

I will recommend this to those who love fantasy, gruff men, cute elves, troublesome dragons and a good story.

 

In the Darkness by Charles Edwards

Title:   In the Darkness

Author:  Charles Edward

Genre: LGBT Medieval Fantasy

Length:   Novel

Publisher: Loose Id

Heat Level:   Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer:  Pixie

Blurb:  Gareth is his parents’ dirty secret: Cursed with a demonic appearance, he has always been in hiding just to stay alive. He must never be seen or his family will die. But when a violent attack endangers a local youth — whom Gareth adores from the shadows — there is no one else to help, and Gareth is driven to risk everything to save him.

Now the young man, Evin, wants to know more about this terrifying and beautiful stranger. Where did he come from? Is he a demon, or something more? They begin to meet in the darkness, becoming friends and then lovers. Evin’s sexual exploration and adoration of every part of Gareth’s strange body erase fear and self-loathing; and Gareth’s enthusiasm and prowess make every tryst more powerful, more deliriously sensual than the last.

But there is a purpose to Gareth’s existence, and when it is revealed, Evin and Gareth will be enslaved by rivals, separated to end up on opposite sides of a war. Evin will be forced to play a dangerous role: One which may make him Gareth’s destroyer.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices, violence.

Review:   Yay!!!   Medieval type fantasy… yay yay ha ha woo woo… (Sorry little happy dance there couldn’t control myself).  Okay, so out of all the genres in the world this is my favorite type, as the author can really let themselves go with their imaginations.   Sword’s, armor, shields, evil nobles, downtrodden peasants, magic, heroic men, evil monster’s, etc. Etc. Etc.   Because really, there is so much to choose from.   Now sometimes it works… and sometimes it doesn’t.   Some authors lose track of where they are going with the story or add too many detail’s or plots or people.   But this author doesn’t miss a trick.

Gareth is sweet, naïve and bullied by his parents.  Evin is trying to get through life as a peasant, who is being blackmailed and mistreated by the mayor’s son.   As these two get to know each other you can’t but help cheer them on.   They are about to embark on a journey that will separate them and see them re-united in a heart rendering way.   At one point I really couldn’t see how the author could bring them back together, and then I thought all was lost.

Charles Edward, I salute you.   This story has it all and your imagination is something to admire because the ending was inspired.

So what would I recommend?   If you like fantasy, magic, Medieval, a wicked Queen, an evil Sorcerer (a wizard if you want), re-growing limbs!!! (Yeah I know!) hot and kinky sex (really I think some men will be jealous of Gareth) and a storyline that keeps you reading then…this is it.