In a futuristic world where people went back to live like in the nineteen century, it's like the industrial revolution never happened, and the work of engines is done by slaves. Slavery is also legal, all cons, at the third conviction, lost their freedom rights and are sold into auctions. Jacob is the wealthy owner of a farm that not only utlize the work of those men on his land, but profits also of their well-endowed body in beds. When David arrives to his farm injustily framed of theft, Jacob suspects that he is innocent, but nevertheless decides to enjoy his new slave in bed.

This is probably the most interesting point of the short story: I really don't know if I like so much Jacob, he is not a nice man. But I think that this gives deepness to his character. I have the feeling that Jacob has never had a trouble in his life, even if it's not said, I think he was born wealthy and raised as a spoiled child, everything he wanted he had to have. So Jacob is not a bad man, he is only selfish. And he doesn't see anything wrong in owning slaves, since this is what he has always seen and learned as the only right thing to do to manage the new turn of his futuristic world. When he sees a slave he doesn't see a man, he sees a beast. Even when he starts to care for David, sometime he still refers to him as a stud, a beast, a pony. It's both a way to play kinky, but also his innate perception of things.

On the other hand, truth be told, David is not so strong or independent to help Jacob seeing him in a different way. Oh, he is strong in body, but as attitude, he is very much a submissive. Even the way he was convicted and condemned, I didn't feel like he fought hard to avoid it. He sometime seemed to me a martyr, someone who accepted his destiny since he thought it was right for him to go through all of that. It's not that the story is a real BDSM story, but it has its hints to that: the bench, the almost non-con sex, even if David enjoys his first experience and he doesn't protest, nevertheless he didn't agree to it, and he has no other chance.

The story is really short, less than 40 pages, but I think that, even in so few pages, it manages to build an interesting alternative reality, worthy maybe to be further explored.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=500

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

First of all, big warning: if you don't like a chick with masculine "characteristics" (don't let me go into details), you will not like this book. I think we have to be quite sincere, there are books written by men for men AND women, there are books written by women for women AND men, and then there are books written by men FOR men and by women FOR women. It's not impossible that men could enjoy romance only for women, I know there are out there men who read, for example, Danielle Steel, and more recently, Suzanne Brockmann. But they are aware that they are entering an exclusive playfield, a playfield that is open to special admission nevertheless.

Enraptured is a romance by women for women. It's a man on man story, but the I would not say that it's gay. True, being setting in a futuristic world where "homosexuality" is not more an issue, there is not even the smallest problem for the "all male" nature of the characters. More, being an inter-breed story, between Demons and genetically modified Humans, the issue is more the difference in race than the same-sex relationship. To add spicy to the thing, the Demons are an all male breed, their women all died for a virus centuries before, and they naturally modified their genetics to be able to reproduce between males. So yes, there is male pregnancy in there, and that is another plus factor for the submissive male to be more a chick than a rooster.

Said all that, it's a good romance? IF you try to read it knowing the purpose for which it was written, then yes: Enraptured is a funny romp, the futuristic setting is light and easy and the story didn't fall in the overadorned style that usually these stories have. The futuristic world is very much like a medieval "romance" setting, not the real Middle Ages, but more the fictional rendering that you often find in a romance novel; the plot is classic, the bastard son of a king raised in a monastery and subject to the lascivious attention of a villain, a powerful mage. Just when the evil father promised the innocent son to the villain for a much abhorred mating, an handsome stranger prince comes to the rescue of the "damsel" in distress. Only that the prince is not exactly a "prince charming", but more a demon with black leathery wings.

Where is the originality of the story? I think it's in the lightness, all events, even when dramatic, are more funny than angst. This is more a sexy romp than a sci-fiction novel. There are also a lot of kind homages to similar fiction out there: the human princes have long and colorful hair, they have to be virgin till they come to age, and so on.

So yes, if read with the right perspective, this debut novel by Scarlet Hyacinth is very nice, and I think I will read also the following books in the saga.

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-enraptured-15672-252.html

The Rainbow Awards: Phase 2: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/823682.html

Second in the Futuristic Regency series by J.L. Langley, this is the story of Payton, the older brother of Aiden, and second in line to the throne of Regelence. Regelence is a planet where men can marry, more it's more common for the peers to marry a man, and they can also procreate in lab an heir with the genes from both male parents and without the female component.

Payton is a IT geek and Nate, Aiden's husband, asks him to help in decipher a message which probably hides a conspiracy against both Regelence than Englor, the other planet in the Alliance that lives accordingly to the Regency rules. But in Englor those rules are more strictly than in Regelence, and even if same-sex marriage is not against the law, it's highly discouraged. And so Payton, who is a pampered prince nursed to become a beautiful ornament to the arm of a powerful and rich man, finds himself suddenly free to roams Englor's street without a chaperon, even if it appears that his genetically modified interest in other men is not so welcomed.

But not all the men on Englor are the same, and Payton meets Simon, not other than the heir to Englor's throne. Simon is a friendly and very sexy man, one that, as soon as he spots the pretty new officer, can't help to seduce him. Not that Payton resists so much to the advances... it's almost not clear if Simon seduces Payton or if Payton is the "innocent" seducer.

Even if Simon is the supposed Alpha male, he is really too open and young to be a real dominant character; Simon is the perfect scoundrel, very good in the battle field as well as in the bedroom, no matter that, in his case, the chosen bedroom partner is a male and not a maid. And Payton is not the usual virgin maid type of character; true, he is virgin, but he is a lot older than his 19 years old. In a way, Payton is more ready to be a king than Simon; Simon still needs the advice of faithful counselors, but not since he is prudent, I believe since he is still too young. So Payton and Simon make a good match, and together maybe they will manage to not destroy Englor...

As usual in a J.L. Langley's book, there is a lot of funny situations, and Payton is the perfect little firecracker, cute and to be handed with caution. Not sure if Simon is strong enough to handle him. So funny and sex as well, but I have to said that the sex it seemed more... dirty, but in a good way. Sex was always an heavy component in the mix for the previous books by the same author, but in this case it was an orgy of sense, down and dirty; with the balance of the humor, the result is a very involving story.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/the-englor-affair

Amazon: The Englor Affair (Sci-Regency)

Amazon Kindle: The Englor Affair

Series:
1) My Fair Captain: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/106500.html
2) The Englor Affair

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Dragon's Kiss was a previously released short story in a Band of Thebes theme anthology. So the main focus of the story is the relationship between fellow soldiers, on manlove relationships bring on more on an almost friendship basis than real love.

In a futuristic world, a mix of Apocalypse Now and Back to the Future, Bear is one of the survivors from a natural disaster that destroyed the Earth as we know her. People now live among the ruin of the past world, but they are back to an almost medieval era. Bear is born generations after the catastrophe, and so he has not knowledge of the world as it was before, and he lives in a closed community, lead by a Council that considers all past things evil. There is acceptance for the homosexual relationships, more, they are encouraged, but only among the members of the pack. The ostracism now is no more for who is "different", but for who is "stranger". People who dare to cross the pack borders are most likely killed and also who wants to go away.

Bear and his fellow soldier Lynx are sent by their Council leader to capture a trespasser; they find the man, Dragon, a member of a near pack who was banished from his people to be an heretic: he doesn't believe that all the past was evil, he wants to know, he wants something forbidden, the knowledge. Bear knows that, if they bring back Dragon to their pack, the man would be probably killed, and Bear fears this event since the same sin Dragon committed, is haunting his mind.

This is only a short story, so apart set the place and give the chance to the characters to meet, there is nothing much more. But the most interesting thing is how the prejudice is still present: it shifted from the people to the society, the ignorant crowd no more fear the single man, the different (race, sexuality, rank...), they know fear an entire society, past or stranger, everything is outside their community is evil. And the leaders know that, to preserve their powers, they have to maintain the crow ignorant.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/dragon-s-kiss

Amazon Kindle: Dragon's Kiss: A Mother Earth story.

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

The Wrong Path was a sweet tale setting in a fantasy kingdom I tagged "Back to the Future", since it mixed the common elements of a Regency historical with a fantasy/futuristic setting. Someone could also call it Neo-Regency... Anyway the starting point of the story was one of the most used in a classical Regency, the heir of a wealthy and noble family, Zeke, is forced by his father to married the heir of another wealthy family, to merge the respective wealth. Only that Zeke is not so happy with his father decision, he is an artist and a dreamer and he doesn't want to marry a stranger; not that he has any decision in the matter, and so in the previous book, Zeke was on his path to the near city to meet the prospective fiance. Only that he took the wrong path and ended in the arms of Crispin, instead. Crispin is rich but not noble, he is a middle class man who has just dumped his deceptive lover and wants only to relax in his country cottage.

Twists and Turns continues where The Wrong Path ended, from the morning after of the "notorious" debauching of the virgin act led by Crispin on a very willing Zeke. Now Zeke is compromised, and Crispin has to do the right thing, talk to Zeke's father to ask Zeke's hand in marriage. The only problem is that Crispin is only a middle class man and Zeke a nobleman, and Crispin's father is not so happy to loose his commercial agreement with the other family.

This is again another short story, and it's again only a step more in Crispin and Zeke's story; as The Wrong Path lasted half a day and a night, Twists and Turns last only a day. Short story by short story, step by step, maybe in the end we will have a really nice Neo-Regency novel! Due to the strict connections between the two short stories, I recommend to read both in the right order.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1964

Amazon Kindle: Twists and Turns

Series:
1) The Wrong Path: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/172527.html
2) Twists and Turns

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Jory is the youngest son of the king of a futuristic planet. Being the youngest and gay, he should be not an obstacle to his siblings' ambitions to the throne, but Jory is well-liked by the people and by his father. And so the king decides to send his son in a "mate-searching" mission: he will travel from planet to planet till he will not find the right man for him, a man wealthy and power enough to protect Jory. Problem is that Jory is not exactly the man who likes to be dominated.

Anyway he agrees to his father's plan since the first planet he will visit will be Dragait, the native earth of shape-shifter dragonman, men well known to be real Alpha males, and Jory likes that type of men. Being pretty and cute, as soon as he dismounts on the new planet, he meets Val, a wealthy duke, who is probably his mate. Val doesn't waste time to mate with Jory, but the mating rules expect that Jory has to mate with another dragonman, and the God of Mating will allow the tattoo of the real mate to appear on Jory's body. And so, even if with regret, Val allows Jory to go out and find another man.

The second time, Jory does even better and attracts no less than the king of the planet. Rai is even more possessive than Val, and has no doubt that it will be his mark to appear on Jory. Both Val than Rai are Alpha male, but Val is the silent type, and instead Rai is the growling version. While reading the book, I was really perplexed since I really wasn't able to choice between Rai and Val, both of them were appealing and I liked both of them. The problem was that, even if the men were both attracted by Jory, it seemed impossible to have a bond between them, and so a menages seemed not proposable. And so I liked even better the solution with which the author came out.

The story is not very long, a novella, and it has still some minot fault, probably due to the fact that the author is young, but still, I found that between this one and the other I read, Amber Kell is a nice new voice in the M/M romance overview. It's obvious that she is also a voracious reader of gay romance, since she respects all the main rules of a gay romance written by a woman for women, and her characters are cute or strong, or both. The Dragonmen series is a good mix of paranormal and futuristic (back to the future subgenre), that winks to similar books in the genre, first of all the Sci-Fic Regency series by J.L. Langley, and so if you liked that one, you could try this one.

http://www.literaryroad.com/product.php?ISBN_num=621

Amazon Kindle: Dragonmen Book 1: Mate Hunt

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Poison is a very strange novel. I actually can't say if I fully understand it.

In a fantasy regency world, Rimania, people are divided in Elite and Workers. They are a closed cast society and only Elite can do politics and have access to high class; they are so strict on their rules that a worker is not even allowed in presence of an Elite if not as personal servant.

Tobias is the nephew of the actual regent. His father attempted to his brother's life and was executed for this reason. Now Tobias prefer to have a secluded life in his manor with a matchmaking mother. He is not interested in politics, but when his uncle is murdered and some days after also his cousin, only another cousin remains between Tobias and the regency. And he is not very happy of that.

Meanwhile Geln, an outworld spy of the Alliance who wants to take over the power in Rimania, infiltrates in the Elite's society through Tobias' mother, posing as her lover. Geln is a spy and also a "whore": he uses sex to reach his purposes; after being the "prostitute" of a revolutionary worker, Arjes, now he is the paramour of Dressia, Tobias' mother. But when Tobias is poisoned, surprisingly Geln saves his life. Tobias is an innocent 23 years old man, who is not aware of all the politic troubles around him: he only realizes that people he loved were killed and he wants to know why. But when he meets Geln, he realizes also something else: he is attracted by a man, even if they said to him that, in this new Elite society, homosexuality is extinct.

Tobias and Geln embark in a strange relationship, where Tobias discovers his sexuality and Geln tries to teach him how beautiful can be sex with a man and meanwhile tries to go on with his plan without using innocent Tobias as a pawn. But Geln is not tough enough as he thinks, and past experiences make him a little skittish when he faces a true and sincere love.

Both Tobias than Geln are unwilling heroes, and truth be told, they don't have the physique du role to be a full figured hero. Tobias is not enough on an idealist, he is more a child who finds himself to play with an "adult" game, and he doesn't know the rule. He could use the help of someone more experienced, but Geln is not that man. Geln is, as Tobias, a man who is thrown in something bigger than him and not even having all the necessary information. But two halfs maybe make an entire, and Tobias and Geln together manage to play in this game. Among betrayals and perils, the reader starts to understand to not trust no one and maybe the less human of all will be the more trustworthy of all.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/poison

Amazon Kindle: Poison

Amazon: Poison

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

In a futurist world, centuries ahead than today, Sinjen is a pianist, a man who has made his fortune keeping alive the works of so many composers otherwise forgotten by the world. But even if he loves the music, he is tired of being always in front of the public and so he chooses to retire. On his last performance he meets Vincent, a mysterious man who lures him: Vincent is handsome and cultured, he seems to know so much of the past and Sinjen can't explain the force that draws him.

The story is very short, less than 40 pages, but mix well futuristic and paranormal elements. Both Sinjen than Vincent have artificial wings, an expensive accessories that in this futuristic world you can buy like you would with a new car or similar. Dark and light, Sinjen with white fluffy wings and Vincent with dark ones, but as contrast, Vincent as an angelical face and instead Sinjen is the brooding one.

The story spans only for a night, a shared dinner and a shocking revelation, something Vincent believes will draw Sinjen apart, and instead he doesn't realized that, in this future world, his secret is no more important: everything is changed, and maybe he lives too much in the past.

As in the previous book by Helen Louise Caroll, the story ends when I would like very much too see it continues. She is very good in creating interesting characters, with a good background that is a promising basis for a longer novel, but she chooses to limit it to a short story. So I can't say very much on it, rather than I hope to read in the future something longer by her.

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/MoonlightSonata.html

Amazon Kindle: Moonlight Sonata For Two

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

In a futuristic world humans seem to be degraded to a primitive time. They no more fight for live, but use slaves as gladiators in arenas. A gladiator has no hope for freedom, even if he is the last one to survive. For him it means only a one more night before the next fight.

This time, Geoff, a human, a Ardis, a man with the pelt of an animal, are the two to survive. They don't hate each other, and so for this last night they decide to share a room and spend time healing each other and loving each other. Geoff has always been a slave, he doesn't know other life, but Ardis was a freeman, and tries to convince Geoff that outside the arena there is a world worthy to be seen.

The story is pretty short, less than 60 pages, but it's very enjoyable. Geoff and Ardis, even if strong warriors, aren't animal. They have feeling and dream, and the need for a lovely touch from another human being. In this short story there is more sex than what you would expect, but for me, who loves more the romance and less the war, it is a bonus. Maybe I'd like to be a bit longer, and I hope to have the chance in the future to read a entire M/M novel by Brenda Bryce.

http://www.changelingpress.com/index.php?uaid=ISFUDNYA

Waiting Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=waiting+reading+list&view=elisa.rolle

In a futuristic world, a mix of medieval and eighteen century eras, Toby is a blind guy who lives with his family. He is from a wealthy family and his family wants a good marriage for him (it seems that same sex marriage is a common thing in this world). But every time someone sees him and his blindness, the betrothal never happens.

Then he meets Derik, a good man, not so wealthy like him but gentle and caring. But Derik is orribly scared, scars he has suffered during a captivity in enemies hands. Love blossoms soon, but Toby's family is not so happy to see his only son with that ugly man.

A short story very tender and heartbreaking. Toby is not totally blind, he can see shadows and colors, and so he matches voices and sounds with colors. For him Derik is dark colors, but at the same time warm colors. And Derik is shy to love Toby, cause he is a beauty. But they are a perfect match, and not cause Toby is blind and Derik is ugly, but cause Toby enlightens the shadows in Derik's life.

I'm waiting for Torquere Press to re-release this short story by Mike Shade, and I'm very happy to have a chance to read it: it's simple and cozy, a very warming reading.

http://www.torquerepress.com/

Another funny and beautiful series by J.L. Langley.

Aiden is a prince of a futuristic planet, Regelence: even if they use the modern technology the kingdon is still led like in the Regengy era with a little twist: the society is all patriarchal and the homosexuality is the norm. Plus, the same sex partners can decide to genetically create a son with both their genes and to alterate his sexual preference in order to make him prefer men. And finally, is common beliefs that the chastity before marriage is a virtue, so men has to remain virgin until their 25 birthday or until the marriage: a man found in a compromising situation with another man is obliged to marry.

So when Nate, the disowened son of a near planet's duke and now captain on the Interstallar Army, is asked to investigate on a weapons theft happened on Regelence, he is hosted by the royal family: Stephen, the king, Raleigh, his consort, and 5 sons, and among them Aiden. For Nate is love at first sight: Aiden is young and innocent, but clever and spirit. He wants to be an artist, he doesn't want to marry some man, and become a consort bonded to family due and striclty cerimonial. But when he sees Nate, he can't deny the sudden and unknown desire he feels and suddenly become Nate's consort is not a so bad idea.

I like very much the plot of the story and the fact that many part of the book is dedicated to explain and close all the open point of Nate's story. The book has an open end, I will bet we will read in the future all the stories of the Aiden's brothers, but in this book you will have plenty of time to enjoy the evolving love story between Aiden and Nate and all its unexpected shifts...

As always J.L. Langley is master in humor, and the Gay Regency Society is a great original idea. The royal family is an happy bunch of brats and they are all well portrayed and all deserve an own book.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/my-fair-captain

Amazon: My Fair Captain


Cover Art by Anne Cain

The Talkirk is a post apocalyptic warlord who reign on a cairn in an unknown planet. His word is law. He has only one weak point: he likes young guys and he has twelve of them in an atipical harem inside the cairn. One time every year he chooses another guy for his pleasure.

This year, during the usual "guys fair" a man stands above the other: Lucan is a Pureblood, who descends directly from the people who arrive on the planet with a starship. Lucas is beautiful, his skin is pale, cause his people live underground, his hair are black and his eyes bright, beautiful and... blind.

But he claims to be here to help the Talkirk and to save him and his cairn. He will do anything to convince the Talkirk, also give himself to prove that. And the Talkirk accepts the offer and claims his body. But with his body, Lucan surrenders also his hearth.

This is a very interesting reading, maybe a little to short. I have read another novel by Sienna Black, Coyote Rain, and also in that case the plot was very interesting but the novel too short. I will be very happy to have the opportunity to read something more by Sienna Black, maybe a little longer?

http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=linda018&cart_id=5480918.86665&product_name=To+Touch+The+Stars&return_page=&user-id=&password=&exchange=&exact_match=exact


Cover Art by Anne Cain