Cecilia Tan (1) (1967–)

With a combination of intelligent writing and realistic portrayal of varying levels of desire for, and acceptance of that desire, for a power exchange relationship, Cecilia Tan's "Taking the Lead" provides a welcome boost to the quality of erotica available to the BDSM community. Ricki and Axel are relatable protagonists, and if you think "billionaire heiress and dangerous rock star" seems like thin ground for character development, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the care Tan takes to show more make this more than a series of kinky romps (though those are definitely present, and hot). People who are more familiar with BDSM erotica than with actual BDSM lifestyles will probably find flaws with the narrative, but I found the complexities of Ricki's feelings to be completely believable given her family history and her public persona.
Definitely recommend, especially for folks in the kink world who are looking for something with a bit more tooth than short stories on online forums, and more dimension than vanilla erotica. show less

(Disclosure: I don't know the author particularly well, but I've long admired her work as an editor, and have submitted material to her publishing house in the past. This hasn't had any impact on my reaction to the book, other than I wouldn't have known about a promo deal on the new edition and run off to buy it if I didn't have her blog on my LiveJournal feed.)

Erotic fantasy novel which is quite openly inspired by Harry Potter. "Inspired by" means "loving homage", not "rip-off"; this is a show more worthy novel in its own right, and could be enjoyed as such by someone who's never read any of Rowling's books (or indeed any of the other speculative fiction Tan pays homage to). But it's most easily described as what would happen if Harry Potter was an American taking up a scholarship at Harvard University, and on arrival walking into the admin office of a faculty housed in buildings which aren't findable by most people on the campus, to the confusion of himself and the faculty administrators. Since we're dealing with undergraduates here, there's sex. Lots of sex. Sex for actual plot purposes, no less, and all the better for it. For there is indeed a plot, concerning the covert presence on campus of a siren, what that is, and the dangers it poses to the students. It's intertwined with various other plot threads, most of which are resolved satisfactorily while leaving openings for further stories about next year's adventures. While I think there's some room for improvement, it's well written, by someone who understands her material. I liked it a lot, enough to want to read the next one in the series (a quartet of novels plus a collection of short stories). If that brief description sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, I'd recommend you try it out -- the prologue and first chapter are available as free samples on Amazon and other online retailers. show less

Tan’s stories are a perfect blend of sinfully liberating demeanor and feral eroticism.During my undergrad years,read this volume while on a flight to Syracuse; past a dreadful break-up. In a flash I went from bawling in misery to crafting a move on my dorm resident. A definite prescription to sensual rapture.

I enjoyed this second book much more than the first. While the first book did the world building and excellent character developing, this book took off with the action and ran with it until the very end. Enough hot sex to satisfy any porn hunter but also a very good story to go along with it. I enjoyed Sergetten and the way that the author went back and forth between Kenet's and Jorin's POVs with each chapter. Highly recommended fantasy porn. The extra story of Sergetten was nice bonus.