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elfflame's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theficster's review against another edition
4.0
This book totally fits with the previous trilogy of books. It is very detailed, the author is a good as what she does today as she has ever been. At times it seemed very long. But I think that maybe my tastes have changed over time. I did enjoy it, I was just glad when I was finally finished.
eggbeater's review against another edition
1.0
Enough with the spanking, Anne Rice! I couldn't get through this book. It was on sale for $1.99 and I normally really like this author but this was absurd. It's nothing against erotica but this was dumb. I was so bored. There is only so much spanking a person can take. I need a plot and characterization please.
ravensandlace's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I first heard that there was going to be a fourth book added to this series, I wasn’t sure what to think. Course I hadn’t finished the other two books when I heard about it. I had only finished the first one and was waiting to read the second one as it wasn’t available on my online library at the time. I soon forgot about the series until a couple years ago. I reread the first book and quickly read the second one a few days later. Time got in the way and I wasn’t able to complete the third book until a couple weeks ago. I then devoured this book in record time. I have a weird history with this series, don’t I?
Moving on. Now that I have read all the books, I actually think that this book was needed. AT the end of Beauty’s Release, it felt unfinished. I wanted to know what happened to Beauty, Laurent and all the other characters that I had become quite fond of. I had wanted them all to get happy endings because they all deserved it. I got conclusion with this book and that made me incredibly happy.
With this book, there were multiple POVs, too many to name actually. Experiencing a variety of different characters was refreshing and helped give a depth to this book which wasn’t always felt in the course of the series. My favorite POV was Lady Eva by far. I loved her sassiness but I also enjoyed how submissive she could be. She was a strong woman who knew exactly what she wanted and she knew exactly how to get it. I loved that and I loved her.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was consent was a major theme. Beauty and Laurent made their kingdom about consent. No more forced slaves. Gone was the era of the Queen taking pleasure slaves from parts of her kingdom as payment. Each and every slave was there willingly. They signed a contract to ensure they knew exactly what they were getting in to. The slaves were told exactly and explicitly what was going to be happening to them. They could not sign the contract, leave and there would be no punishment for that. Beauty and Laurent only wanted people in their kingdom that wanted to be there. It was fantastic and refreshing to see this in a book like this.
Overall, this was an excellent addition to the Beauty series and I regret doubting it. It was exactly what the series needed to end. It had a beautiful ending that I am happy with. The way it ended opened doors for additional books if Anne Rice decided she wanted to explore this world more, which I would not be opposed to. I’m sad this series came to an end but I am beyond glad I found it and I will treasure it always.
Moving on. Now that I have read all the books, I actually think that this book was needed. AT the end of Beauty’s Release, it felt unfinished. I wanted to know what happened to Beauty, Laurent and all the other characters that I had become quite fond of. I had wanted them all to get happy endings because they all deserved it. I got conclusion with this book and that made me incredibly happy.
With this book, there were multiple POVs, too many to name actually. Experiencing a variety of different characters was refreshing and helped give a depth to this book which wasn’t always felt in the course of the series. My favorite POV was Lady Eva by far. I loved her sassiness but I also enjoyed how submissive she could be. She was a strong woman who knew exactly what she wanted and she knew exactly how to get it. I loved that and I loved her.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was consent was a major theme. Beauty and Laurent made their kingdom about consent. No more forced slaves. Gone was the era of the Queen taking pleasure slaves from parts of her kingdom as payment. Each and every slave was there willingly. They signed a contract to ensure they knew exactly what they were getting in to. The slaves were told exactly and explicitly what was going to be happening to them. They could not sign the contract, leave and there would be no punishment for that. Beauty and Laurent only wanted people in their kingdom that wanted to be there. It was fantastic and refreshing to see this in a book like this.
Overall, this was an excellent addition to the Beauty series and I regret doubting it. It was exactly what the series needed to end. It had a beautiful ending that I am happy with. The way it ended opened doors for additional books if Anne Rice decided she wanted to explore this world more, which I would not be opposed to. I’m sad this series came to an end but I am beyond glad I found it and I will treasure it always.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Slavery
This book is part of a series and should be read in order. This book is also not for those that are sensitive to sexual depravity. There is a lot of detailed sexual exploits described in this book and while consent is a huge theme in this book, there are still a lot of questionable sexual content that border between consent and not.sherylubookquitous's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 This is the fourth of the famous trilogy - long before the 50 Shades drivel. Sadly, this one was disappointing compared to the others. Not that the original three were great works of art, but they were more entertaining, more exploring, and as books had more overall tension. The shifting POV between characters isn't a problem, but changing from between characters and 1st and 3rd didn't work here. The plot was simplistic and predictable and could have been so much more. The exploration of a complex topic was shallow and not done justice. And it isn't that erotic works can't have good plots and real exploration of that erotic world, but this just falls short. The good news was I bought it on a "under $3.00" sale.
kimalexander's review against another edition
3.0
Spoilers for all four books.
Oh Anne Rice.
When I heard she was writing a sequel after so long, I was thrilled. I loved those books, even with the problems they present regarding consent. And I HAD to know what happened to Lexius, he was by far my favorite character. (If you set the book down, it may or may not open to his chapters.) I wondered if she'd bring him back, along with some of the others I'd particularly enjoyed reading about.
So it was good news/bad news. She certainly fixed the consent issues, and the new book reflects the changing use of language - in the original books, all the men (not the women as I recall) refer to a lot of their sexual activity as 'rape' when it's abundantly clear that's not what they mean.
SO Beauty and Laurent take over Bellavalten (did I know that was the name of the kingdom?) and we waste no time deciding the now-dead queen was a stone bitch who won't be missed and her son was an even bigger waste of time. On with the spanking!
But first, a million pages of new rules and regs.
I found Dmitri's efforts to deal with his blazing case of PTSD interesting, and liked that Alexi seemed to be happy with his lot. I was glad not to spend much time with the Captain of the Guard whom I always found oafish.
One mystery solved - my Lexius is mentioned on nearly every page - he's written letters! He's on his way! He's almost here!
He shows up nearly at the end, and well. I guess it's just not my vibe. He's given little space on the page and leaves quickly and to an uncertain future. I think I'll prefer to remember him as he was before his unusual transformation.
Other than things taking a sharp left when we find out what he's been hiding (literally) my issue with this book is, frankly, there's not enough actual sex! (If you're into pony play, get two copies.)
That said, will I buy another book if she continues this series? What do you think?
Anne, I am your slave.
Oh Anne Rice.
When I heard she was writing a sequel after so long, I was thrilled. I loved those books, even with the problems they present regarding consent. And I HAD to know what happened to Lexius, he was by far my favorite character. (If you set the book down, it may or may not open to his chapters.) I wondered if she'd bring him back, along with some of the others I'd particularly enjoyed reading about.
So it was good news/bad news. She certainly fixed the consent issues, and the new book reflects the changing use of language - in the original books, all the men (not the women as I recall) refer to a lot of their sexual activity as 'rape' when it's abundantly clear that's not what they mean.
SO Beauty and Laurent take over Bellavalten (did I know that was the name of the kingdom?) and we waste no time deciding the now-dead queen was a stone bitch who won't be missed and her son was an even bigger waste of time. On with the spanking!
But first, a million pages of new rules and regs.
I found Dmitri's efforts to deal with his blazing case of PTSD interesting, and liked that Alexi seemed to be happy with his lot. I was glad not to spend much time with the Captain of the Guard whom I always found oafish.
One mystery solved - my Lexius is mentioned on nearly every page - he's written letters! He's on his way! He's almost here!
He shows up nearly at the end, and well. I guess it's just not my vibe. He's given little space on the page and leaves quickly and to an uncertain future. I think I'll prefer to remember him as he was before his unusual transformation.
Other than things taking a sharp left when we find out what he's been hiding (literally) my issue with this book is, frankly, there's not enough actual sex! (If you're into pony play, get two copies.)
That said, will I buy another book if she continues this series? What do you think?
Anne, I am your slave.
emmybird86's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the book, but it did not go with the first three. It felt like the first one of a series or a standalone book.
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