#ringstones

Ringstones is the most overt work of kink in an oeuvre filled with bird-girls, leopard women, too much leather, and even a doll maker capturing the willing spirit of a boarding school girl in one of his wooden toys.  

Daphne Hazel, an athletic, intelligent if not especially clever young woman,is hired for the summer to act as governess for the young wards of a London doctor.  All she knows is the children and their older brother speak limited English, are living on beautiful, isolated estate, and that she is to be a companion more than a teacher.  

Isolated is something of an understatement as it becomes quickly evident to the reader, if not poor Daphne, that this estate is not part of our modern world.  And that the children’s older brother, Nuamen, who spends much of his time all but naked and smiling, is probably not exactly human.  

That Daphne is clearly more prized for her strength, health, and speed than her ability to teach English, and that Nuamen and one of the workmen on the estate are working on a beautiful wooden yoke that seems much to small to fit an horse, should give you an idea of where things are going....

Sarban’s work is hypnotic at best, overwritten at worst, and always ends teasing rather than telling, but for all of that there is a compelling quality to the sheer weirdness of this book that can’t be denied.  Even as Daphne finds herself growing eager for whatever fate awaits her, I found myself just as eager.  

Let me know if you want to be added to this or any other tag list.

@dangertoozmanykids101  I’m tagging you on this review because I thought this is an author that would interest you.