#!servants

I was thrilled to see that there are sequels planned. This is one of those good things that it would be very, very difficult to get too much of.

Title: Maledicte Author: Lane Robins Format: Novel Published/Free: Published Length: 464 pages Status: Complete Rating: Mature Warnings: Violence and disturbing content Link: http://www.amazon.com/Maledicte-Lane-Robins/dp/034549573X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308615529&sr=1-1 Summary: Seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods, the court of Antyre is ruled by the last of a dissolute aristocracy. But now to the kingdom comes a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes . . . and conceal a hunger beyond reckoning. For Maledicte is actually a woman named Miranda–a beautiful thief raised in the city’s vicious slums. And she will do anything–even promise her soul to Black-Winged Ani, the most merciless of Antyre’s exiled gods–to reclaim Janus, the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams. As her machinations strike at the heart of Antyre’s powerful noble houses, Miranda must battle not only her own growing bloodlust, but also her lover’s newly kindled and ruthless ambitions. As Ani’s force grows insatiable and out of control, Miranda has no choice but to wield a weapon that may set her free . . . or forever doom her and everything she holds dear. Review: Okay, confession time.... technically, this is not slash, since Miranda is biologically female. However, the persona of Maledicte is held for about 95% of the book, and is so complete that the male pronoun is used throughout, even in scenes from Maledicte's point of view (and in scenes where s/he is having sex with Janus- so there's your sort-of slash). Honestly, for most of the book, I forgot that Maledicte was actually Miranda. However, the main reason I'm reccing this is not only because it's suspenseful and well-written, but because of the character of Gilly. Gilly is Maledicte's valet, and, despite only ever having been attracted to women before, is in love with him. Gilly is unaware of Maledicte's real gender. Gilly also provides the moral and emotional center of the book. As morbidly fascinating as watching Maledicte sink into madness is, the book would be relentless without Gilly, whose character development is one of the novel's best parts. He's both horrified at Maledicte's actions and helplessly in love with him. His struggle to reconcile the two- and to keep Maledicte alive and sane- was what kept me reading this into the small hours. I hope somebody else likes this book, because the fandom is teeth-gnashingly minuscule. (Original Post)

Title: Harrow Author: Sleeps With Coyotes Format: Novella Published/Free: Free Length: 31K Status: Complete Rating: Mature Warnings: Ownership issues, xeno (mage/construct), sizekink, with dangerkink and loyaltykink at the same time. Also character death (minor), violence, gore, and implied sexual violence (offscreen/anecdotal). Link: http://kinked.dreamwidth.org/7651.html Summary: A Warden's feist is made to fit them perfectly. It's just that this isn't the one he made. Review: Big Bangs are basically treasure troves of awesome, and 'Harrow' is one of my favourites. You may have heard of Coyo from the world of fandom, in particular FMA and FFVII. 'Harrow' is (as far as I'm aware) her first original fiction and it's as brilliant as her fanfics. It tells the story of a young warden by the name of Vandory who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, ends up with a feist (a summon) he hadn't asked for. I found the story off-putting at first because it's not the kind of fantasy slash I'm used to reading. By which I mean it's very sanguine, no big End Game, no Big Bad. It almost reads like a slice of life fic. In addition, there's not much in the way of world-building, but the story is in no way lacking because of it. In fact, I preferred not knowing all that much about the world because it kept the focus on the characters. And for all that it's in Kinked Big Bang, it's not all that kinky - if we're using the colloquial definition of the word. (Original Post)