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A review by waywardskyril
Initiation by Alethea Faust
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
4.5
I didn't fully understand the concept of this book going in, and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure I would like it. While Initiation has been on my radar for over a year - maybe two - and I definitely sometimes enjoy some well-written kinky spice in my books, I thought this one would be a little outside my comfort zones - especially, too, with the concept of open relationships since I tend to gravitate solely to monogamy in books.
However, like our main character Dominai, I was willing to try, and although he rather jumps in with both feet, the other characters he's with are wonderful at easing him in to various types of play/spellcasting with lots of check-ins so that I felt just as secure as Dominai did in his many bindings.
The release of pleasure through various types of play casts spells into these special types of rings and beads that can be carried with the characters and then used at their leisure for whatever purpose they intended when casting. Somehow, the release of energy giving the power of a spell that can be held in a special type of stone makes an enormous amount of sense to me, and I LOVE the way it's done in this story. That plot mechanic alone is GENIUS. The way it's carried out is so exceptionally done through the simple, clear, candid writing that this book was SO easy to read and pulled me in immediately.
Besides how good the writing was, what I loved MOST about this story were the relationships amongst all of the characters. Through the very means of their spell-casting and their emphasis on trust and consent, everyone becomes extremely close, like a found family. Kisses are common, not only on lips but friendly ones on cheeks and foreheads. Everyone cares about one another on a personal level, not just an intimate one, and it's easy to tell right away that just about anyone at this magical haven would do anything to help one of their members.
This is done so effortlessly, so NATURALLY - the nature of their magic leading to openness - that I didn't blink at the shared affection amongst everyone. Honestly, it was a kind of acceptance that warmed me from the inside out, and I could read ten more books with these characters.
Despite the openness of relationships, that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for special affection between individuals, which you can see here and there in this place. One such special relationship begins to form between Dominai and another, which I really appreciated. Their attraction and magnetism towards each other, slowly becoming each other’s PERSON, even as their openness never falters, was so heartwarming. I loved the extra attachments a couple characters gained for one another without jealousy ever being even an after-thought.
Somehow, with all of this growing amidst a haze of delicious spice and magic-casting, there's a darker plot in the background that rises up and becomes a climax to the story. While I enjoyed the excitement of this plot and getting to see these wizards using their spells in action, I found these elements of travel and tracking to be a little underdeveloped. The tracking by Dominai was weak based on his supposed experience - only able to find a trail where there are shoe prints in the wet mud. The landscape is barely described, and I didn't get much of a feel for the travel as it was largely glossed over.
None of these factors are the point of the book, and at the end of the day, they didn't subtract much enjoyment from the story, but I found them worth mentioning.
Overall, this is a shockingly GOOD book. Of course, you have to be open to reading about all kinds of kinks, but even if you think you might not like something you may find you're as surprised as I am to discover it's quite fun to read in *this* story. Already, I know this book is a favorite of the year, and I'm so glad I finally read it.
However, like our main character Dominai, I was willing to try, and although he rather jumps in with both feet, the other characters he's with are wonderful at easing him in to various types of play/spellcasting with lots of check-ins so that I felt just as secure as Dominai did in his many bindings.
The release of pleasure through various types of play casts spells into these special types of rings and beads that can be carried with the characters and then used at their leisure for whatever purpose they intended when casting. Somehow, the release of energy giving the power of a spell that can be held in a special type of stone makes an enormous amount of sense to me, and I LOVE the way it's done in this story. That plot mechanic alone is GENIUS. The way it's carried out is so exceptionally done through the simple, clear, candid writing that this book was SO easy to read and pulled me in immediately.
Besides how good the writing was, what I loved MOST about this story were the relationships amongst all of the characters. Through the very means of their spell-casting and their emphasis on trust and consent, everyone becomes extremely close, like a found family. Kisses are common, not only on lips but friendly ones on cheeks and foreheads. Everyone cares about one another on a personal level, not just an intimate one, and it's easy to tell right away that just about anyone at this magical haven would do anything to help one of their members.
This is done so effortlessly, so NATURALLY - the nature of their magic leading to openness - that I didn't blink at the shared affection amongst everyone. Honestly, it was a kind of acceptance that warmed me from the inside out, and I could read ten more books with these characters.
Despite the openness of relationships, that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for special affection between individuals, which you can see here and there in this place. One such special relationship begins to form between Dominai and another, which I really appreciated. Their attraction and magnetism towards each other, slowly becoming each other’s PERSON, even as their openness never falters, was so heartwarming. I loved the extra attachments a couple characters gained for one another without jealousy ever being even an after-thought.
Somehow, with all of this growing amidst a haze of delicious spice and magic-casting, there's a darker plot in the background that rises up and becomes a climax to the story. While I enjoyed the excitement of this plot and getting to see these wizards using their spells in action, I found these elements of travel and tracking to be a little underdeveloped. The tracking by Dominai was weak based on his supposed experience - only able to find a trail where there are shoe prints in the wet mud. The landscape is barely described, and I didn't get much of a feel for the travel as it was largely glossed over.
None of these factors are the point of the book, and at the end of the day, they didn't subtract much enjoyment from the story, but I found them worth mentioning.
Overall, this is a shockingly GOOD book. Of course, you have to be open to reading about all kinds of kinks, but even if you think you might not like something you may find you're as surprised as I am to discover it's quite fun to read in *this* story. Already, I know this book is a favorite of the year, and I'm so glad I finally read it.