M. Raiya

This is an amazing story all on its own, but made even more poignant as a sequel to "[b:Slow Awakening|16004205|Slow Awakening|M. Raiya|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347655899s/16004205.jpg|21767834]". The king and the ambassador, whose names are never given, meet again, but this time it's in the ambassador's country under very dangerous circumstances. Full of passion between the lovers, intrigue, and political maneuvering, this (much too short) book captivated me show more completely.

What started as the king's recognition that submission sets him free to be himself, not just when with his lover, but in the way he deals with the day-to-day running of his country, comes to full bloom in this second story. No longer conflicted, he is able to confront the ambassador's king as a equal. The only question is whether his daring plan will actually succeed.

The underlying tension throughout is punctuated by small excursions into the kind of intense erotic interplay between the king and his master, the ambassador. It makes this short story feel much longer than its twenty-four pages, and the lesson about power, freedom, and finding fulfillment in giving in to what you truly need rings out loud and clear.

If you like stories with a historical feel, if you enjoy reading about men who need to fight for the right to love whom they want, and if you're looking for a read with lots of politics and clever maneuvering, as well as a large dose of compassion, you will probably like this shot story as much as I did. show less

Wow! This is an amazing story. Gripping, very cleverly done, and with a message of "love conquers all" that is one of the strongest I have ever seen in a story. The simplicity of the blurb hides a multi-layered story that kept me in suspense and made me gasp in surprise every time yet another secret was revealed, and another layer of the complex situation peeled back. The initial awakening of the main character and his cruel treatment almost put me off, but I am so glad I persevered! This show more story's very essence is about the power of love, compassion, and learning to understand and respect those who are different.

Losing our memories, the events that help define us as people, is one of the most serious threats most of us can imagine. Having them stripped by someone else and ending up as a captive, to be done with as some faceless enemy wants, is a total nightmare. The main character faces this situation, not just once, but twice. It was fascinating to see him fight his captivity, starting to learn what was going on, then dealing with the fallout. It could not have been more different from what he first suspected. Passion was never a part of his life before his captivity, and, if he doesn’t manage the situation just right, it never will be again.

The two other main characters, each in their own way, are wonderful as well. One is somehow familiar, yet the main character cannot place him at first. The other is his captor, who turns out not to be at all the guy the main character expected. The twist and turns, and many revelations are exceedingly well done and I am totally impressed with this story. It took me to a few scary places in my own mind that I'd rather not have visited, but, in the end, it pulled me back out and I was still whole. Sort of.

If you like stories that are emotionally super-intense and likely to turn you and your world inside out, if you enjoy reading about men who have been subjected to memory erasure and have to learn to deal with the consequences, and if you're looking for a read that is very hot as well as deeply emotional, then you will probably like this short book. I am totally blown away by it and think it's brilliant! show less

This story held me captivated from the first page with its intensely erotic scenes of submission in the first half, and the equally fascinating revelations of the second half. It is clear from the start that a man of power is submitting here, and as the hints increase, my curiosity did as well. I wanted to know what was going on and how it could all possibly come to a happy end.

The king of this tale is a conflicted man. He is the one in power – or so everyone thinks. In reality, he is show more bound and restricted by protocol as well as everyone's expectations and to find true freedom is but a dream. Or is it? Once he dares to risk it all to experience the physical submission he so craves, he suddenly realizes that he is in control. All he needs to do is make it happen.

Erotic in the first half, and with an underlying tension throughout, this is a fascinating story about power, freedom, and finding fulfillment in giving in to what you truly need. If you like stories with a historical feel, if you want to experience what it's like to submit, only to be freed of all your inhibitions and limitations, and if you enjoy stories with a twist, you will probably like this one as much as I did.



NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review. show less

3.75 stars--What a sweet, delicate, sugary fantasy short story...



MM unicorn shifter stories are just as rare as the magical beast. Or I should say good ones.

Don't worry, this isn't PWP. This is a romance between a unicorn shifter and his human mate.

Joel, a past rape victim (it's off page) has a calling to run into the woods one night, naked and alone. He goes in alone and leaves with a mate, Laburne. From that night, Joel gets a quick history lesson on unicorns.

Here are a few cool show more tidbits:

-Their tears are magical and turn into silver pearls when humans touch them.
-They give rides to only the ones they love.
-They are attracted to virgins.

Joel has had a solitary sad life with one positive (he's a young lottery winner) but he can't stand to be touched. The damage the author writes from Joel's perspective felt real. Laburne was very enchanted with Joel and it took some time to finally get a straight answer from him but he was forthcoming when it counted.

Points off for all the crying and weeping. Not just the MC's cried excessively, the other characters too. I get both men are damaged (though Laburne mentioned he's suffering but he never expanded upon that) but all the weeping could have been toned down. Aren't unicorn tears supposed to be rare and guarded? Quit giving them away then. Jeez.

There is one fade to black sex scene and I felt the ending could have been expanded. And while the time frame of Joel and Laburne being together can be called insta-love, I'm more lenient with fated mates because their mating was arranged. But overall it was an enjoyable short. I'm definitely checking out this author's work in the future.
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