I read the first two books in this series when they first came out. I was still at d&D at the time, and had seriously considered dishing them, had talked to dee about how I felt about them, but just couldn't bring myself to do so. It seemed like so many people were just in love with these books. Thought they were great. I have to say, that while I enjoy the mythology behind the books, I didn't particularly like the "forced seduction" in them. In fact, I didn't feel like it was so much forced seduction as I felt like the "hero" was raping his woman. But truth be told, I don't see much of a difference. No, in my opinion has always meant NO. It means STOP! It does not mean, oh I really do want this, I want to be terrified of you and what you are doing, because if you just keep it up I know I'll get over myself and LOVE it.
That said, the premise of this series is unique and if you can skip the hero forcing sex on his soon to be wife to gain her love, then they are damn fine reads. An amazingly evil man makes a deal with the devil. In return for his soul, the soul of his descendants and their eternal loyalty, the devil will give them the ability to change into fierce warriors. They will be long lived, will only be able to be killed by another of their kind, and they will have the ability to change at will into a fierce predatory animal. They will only bear sons. However, one day, a descendant falls in love. Not any descendant mind you, but the current ruler of the fierce clan. He runs away with his gypsy bride, has children and loves them all dearly. However, one day his wife has a vision, a vision that tells his doom. He will burn forever in hell unless the family can find the family icon and restore it to break the curse. The prophecy his wife has seems impossible to the family. For one, it states that the true loves of his four sons will bring the icons back together - but he only has three sons and one daughter.
I continued to read the series this summer when the final two books were released. I enjoyed them, because I wanted to see the curse lifted. I wanted to see how Dodd worked around the four sons thing. All in all, I think the series was worth the read. The premise is fascinating. There were, however, several lose ends. For instance, in the first book Ann (the true love of son #1) is found out to have something "other" herself, and I had seriously thought that this would come into play later. It didn't. I have no idea why it was such a big deal in the first book, if it has no real bearing on the overall story-line.
So, if you like forced seduction you'll be able to read these books without discomfort. However, if like me, you don't care for it, then either skip this series all together or skip pretty much all of the sex, because most of it read like rape to me.
Since this is a Novel Chat of a post the series gets a grade, I give it a C-. Probably would have been an A, but ya know, that whole forced thing.
Take Care
6 comments:
I never understood why NO didn't mean NO in a book and more "oh-no, yes, yes?" WTHeck? Thanks for the review!
And I, for one, don't blame you for JC's decision to possibly not blog. I don't understand what one has to do with the other?
Thanks Brandy. I don't see what my blog post had to do with it either. But apparently, a few people did. It's OK though, because the odds that Crusie even knows who I am or that I even have a web space are slim to none.
And yeah, the whole No meaning maybe in a book is crazy to me too. I know some people like that, and it's OK with me, because not every one likes the same thing. It's just not my thing!
Hi.
I'm Jenny Crusie and you had nothing to do with my waffling on my blog. I have NO idea how you got roped into this, and I'm really sorry.
Jenny
I've read the first three in this series and have book four toward the top of my TBR pile. I, too, really enjoyed the premise of these stories. The mythology was interesting and lent itself toward some exciting and dangerous adventures among the brothers and their mates. BUT. Like you, I had a difficult time with the sexual relationships. I was taken aback by the first encounter between the hero and heroine in the first book, but tried to rationalize it based on the fact that the heroine already loved him and came to see him that night with intentions of seducing him, anyway--(not that she couldn't change her mind). And compounded by the fact that the hero is part animal, if you will--I justified it by thinking his animal instinct accurately assessed that she did indeed want him. Didn't he ask permission at the very last second?Well... I did my best to rationalize it, although it still sat rather uncomfortably with me. Then in Into the Shadow (Book 3), the sex slave thing just felt so unbelievable and contrived--I had to try to forget it even happened. What exactly was the point of that whole segment?
I'm still going to read the last book, because I am still interested in the story arc and am looking forward to how it will all be resolved. Especially since I've liked Firebird since the beginning of the series and Book 3 ended with such a cliffhanger!
Christine, I tried to rationalize it too, but I failed. I still read the entire series, and yes, absolutely read the final book. Be warned, the ending feels just a bit rushed, but it is very much the best book in the series. For MANY reasons! Once you've finished you'll have to let me know what you thought!
Jenny, GOOD LORD, I just passed out for a minute! Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for letting me know it's not my fault. I think I just have incredibly bad timing as far as my posts went. I got the feeling that it was more my question on JCF that prompted the outrage here, but I don't recognize the names of the people who e-mailed me, so who knows. Anyway, no ones fault, and thanks for stopping by!
I'm not a fan of "forced seduction" at all, so I'll skip the books. In fact, it enrages me. I could go on and on about the social ramifications of it; however, any writer has the right to write whatever the writer wishes and whatever serves that writer's vision.
And I don't have to read it.
Thanks for the heads up.
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