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brinastewart's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I can't remember what I thought of the first book because it has been a little while since I read it and many books between that one and this one. However, this one... I know it is erotica as the genre and it really is... I would say this is almost a porn without a plot. The series does have a plot, somewhere in all of it but it isn't a big part of this book.
This book have Beauty and Tristan auctioned off for punishment and that is all it is, sex punishment and torture, spanking, all kinds of things. Also, I want to know two things 1) where the hell did so many princes and princess come from? How big is this country? kingdom? world?.... I dunno and 2) why are the other kings and queens allowing this to happen and not band together to take out this queen and kingdom doing all of this?
Anyway, I will read the next book as it is on my shelf and the reason I read book 1 & 2.
This book have Beauty and Tristan auctioned off for punishment and that is all it is, sex punishment and torture, spanking, all kinds of things. Also, I want to know two things 1) where the hell did so many princes and princess come from? How big is this country? kingdom? world?.... I dunno and 2) why are the other kings and queens allowing this to happen and not band together to take out this queen and kingdom doing all of this?
Anyway, I will read the next book as it is on my shelf and the reason I read book 1 & 2.
regagibs's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
kimia_hyperfocuser's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
I love the fact that this book 2 does not have a massive drop in quality from book 1 as the second books of trilogies usually do. I suppose back in the 80s, publishers did not pressure authors to write one book a year.
I loved the chapters with mistress Lockley and the Captain of the guards. As the book itself said, the lords and ladies of the castle were cloyingly sweet and artful. The straightforward ways of the village were far more to my taste (perhaps minus the icky stuff).
Tristan's storyline was uniquely interesting; it explored things that hadn't been explored yet. I liked reading Tristan's philosophical discussions with Nicolas. Anne Rice knows what she's talking about.
Unfortunately the Orientalist stuff starts at the end of this book, which I can't get through without cringing.
On to book 3, even though some chapters will be read through rolling eyes.
I loved the chapters with mistress Lockley and the Captain of the guards. As the book itself said, the lords and ladies of the castle were cloyingly sweet and artful. The straightforward ways of the village were far more to my taste (perhaps minus the icky stuff).
Tristan's storyline was uniquely interesting; it explored things that hadn't been explored yet. I liked reading Tristan's philosophical discussions with Nicolas. Anne Rice knows what she's talking about.
Unfortunately the Orientalist stuff starts at the end of this book, which I can't get through without cringing.
On to book 3, even though some chapters will be read through rolling eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Kidnapping
bigbookgeek's review against another edition
5.0
I had forgotten how much better I liked this than the first book in the series! Just finished listening to it on audio, and was delightfully entertained! We pick up right where book 1 left off, with Beauty and Tristan being hauled away to the village. The story is told partly in third person about Beauty, but then in first person from Tristan about his experiences. The level of submission and depth of self-realization in this book is just amazing. And of course, how can I not mention that the eroticism was hot enough to melt glass! Rice has a talent with her erotic works to blend sexual identities together so much that every act and every combination of partnering just flows and makes perfect sense. This series is the Top Shelf of erotic fiction!
bedler1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-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
4.0
mechyplus4's review against another edition
3.0
Not exactly what I expected after reading book one! But now I am invested in Tristen and Beauty so let’s go see what happens in the next book.
mscheriesyncere's review against another edition
5.0
I read this trilogy many years ago, before the birth of the internet and social media. I am a longtime member of the BDSM community, so I took it for what it was...a Master/slave fantasy written by a vanilla author. If you have no understanding of BDSM, don't bother with this trilogy. The imagery will make your head explode, and you just won't get the appeal. It is NOT for everybody.
You also must understand that Anne Rice is a prolific writer. She uses flowery words and relies more on exposition than character interaction. If you're just trying to "get to the good stuff", you'll be disappointed. This is intellectual smut, and that's not for everybody, either.
The audiobooks were narrated by Elizabeth Montgomery, whose voice I have always loved. Very stimulating.
You also must understand that Anne Rice is a prolific writer. She uses flowery words and relies more on exposition than character interaction. If you're just trying to "get to the good stuff", you'll be disappointed. This is intellectual smut, and that's not for everybody, either.
The audiobooks were narrated by Elizabeth Montgomery, whose voice I have always loved. Very stimulating.
a_b_hall's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5