Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
P.D. Publishing, Inc. (2009), 192 pages
Description
A slave since the age of eight, Lark has been brutalized and victimized. When he finds himself the property of Lord Naeven Sactaren, a mage as frightening as he is beautiful, Lark is thrown into a life of magic and quirky friends that force him to change in ways he never thought he could. Inexplicably drawn to his master, lark struggles against his own fears and desires as he works side by side with the seductive mage. Never has he been so enchanted by anyone, which raises a frightening question: Would Lord Sactaren bewitch his slave in order to lure him into his bed? In a world where sex is magic and lust is power, can Lark trust what he feels, or has he simply been Magebound?
User reviews
LibraryThing member jshillingford
I purchased this book on a whim, as it was recommended to me by Amazon and in my quick pick list. It’s billed as a fantasy story, which is my favorite genre. It turned out to be a lovely gem that I enjoyed greatly. Though it is nowhere near the level of a true fantasy book like the Nightrunner
Lark is a slave, and has been for 13 years. The story is told from his POV. It begins with Lark being purchased by a mage’s servant at the market. Lark is surprised to find he is given his own room, clean, well-made clothes and a job running the mage’s magic shop. I’ve read a lot of romances where the prostitute or slave is “rescued” by a loving master. And at first, this story seems to be the same. Except the author gets surprisingly realistic with the idea (despite the fantasy elements). How could a slave, brainwashed by years of slavery and abuse to obey, fear and never trust, enter into a relationship between equals? Lark has been beaten and raped by previous owners – wouldn’t it be natural for him to suspect his attraction to Naeven as a spell? How could he desire something which caused him pain and humiliation in the past? It is also believable that he would suspect any altruistic action on his new master’s part as having an ulterior motive. Naeven insists he doesn’t want to be called master, and he doesn’t abuse or mistreat Lark, but he doesn’t give Lark his freedom either. The angst between them wasn’t just an annoyance, it made sense as attraction grew between them. And, the attraction is clear from both parties.
I loved how the author made Naeven such a mystery. His motives are never fully clear, even as Lark begins to see that Naeven doesn’t see him as only property. Since the book is told through Lark’s eyes, the romance is also built that way. It is slowly built, with a lot of sexual tension. For those wondering, the book has no explicit sex, though there are a couple very sensual scenes. I usually like there to be sex in books (whether romance or not), but here I didn’t really miss it. It was a tender, sensual romance that worked perfectly. I loved the characters by the end, and wanted to spend more time with them. The secondary character of Schaff, a cat who talks, is a great addition. He’s snarky, sarcastic and has some of the best lines in the book. And the most ambiguous motives.
My only gripe is that the book ended with an obvious need for a sequel. There was some closure, but questions were also left unanswered and a new character introduced that needs more. This doesn’t prevent me from recommending the book (as even if a sequel never comes, I won’t regret reading it), but it does set me to begging the author…please, please!
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series , it is more than just M/M romance with fantasy window-dressing. The author puts considerable effort into building her fantasy world with rich descriptions, and fine details that bring it to life. Lark is a slave, and has been for 13 years. The story is told from his POV. It begins with Lark being purchased by a mage’s servant at the market. Lark is surprised to find he is given his own room, clean, well-made clothes and a job running the mage’s magic shop. I’ve read a lot of romances where the prostitute or slave is “rescued” by a loving master. And at first, this story seems to be the same. Except the author gets surprisingly realistic with the idea (despite the fantasy elements). How could a slave, brainwashed by years of slavery and abuse to obey, fear and never trust, enter into a relationship between equals? Lark has been beaten and raped by previous owners – wouldn’t it be natural for him to suspect his attraction to Naeven as a spell? How could he desire something which caused him pain and humiliation in the past? It is also believable that he would suspect any altruistic action on his new master’s part as having an ulterior motive. Naeven insists he doesn’t want to be called master, and he doesn’t abuse or mistreat Lark, but he doesn’t give Lark his freedom either. The angst between them wasn’t just an annoyance, it made sense as attraction grew between them. And, the attraction is clear from both parties.
I loved how the author made Naeven such a mystery. His motives are never fully clear, even as Lark begins to see that Naeven doesn’t see him as only property. Since the book is told through Lark’s eyes, the romance is also built that way. It is slowly built, with a lot of sexual tension. For those wondering, the book has no explicit sex, though there are a couple very sensual scenes. I usually like there to be sex in books (whether romance or not), but here I didn’t really miss it. It was a tender, sensual romance that worked perfectly. I loved the characters by the end, and wanted to spend more time with them. The secondary character of Schaff, a cat who talks, is a great addition. He’s snarky, sarcastic and has some of the best lines in the book. And the most ambiguous motives.
My only gripe is that the book ended with an obvious need for a sequel. There was some closure, but questions were also left unanswered and a new character introduced that needs more. This doesn’t prevent me from recommending the book (as even if a sequel never comes, I won’t regret reading it), but it does set me to begging the author…please, please!
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009-08-06
ISBN
1933720654 / 9781933720654