Katica LockeRecensioni

It seems like Fire and Earth mages fit together just perfectly when you toss in a roofie. There may have been some dub-con because of the drug but I don't think that things would have ever worked out with the ultra-shy Kessex without it. A well written and interesting fantasy. I would have loved to read more.

3-1/2 stars Never let it be said that Simon and Julian have the easiest relationship on record. I'm beginning to wonder if they ever will be completely happy together.

A retelling of the Beauty and the Beast with the original catch that here both heroes, Roan and Ishaan, are at the same time Beauty and Beast. Plus there is the universe, as complex as a melting pot of genres.

Roan is a incubus that is stranded in a small town without a whorehouse, the usual place where Roan can satisfy his thirst in the guise of being a male prostitute; at the local inn he finds an unexpected answer to his problem, they are searching for a “babysitter” for the local villain, Ishaan. Ishaan is the son of a very wealthy man, but all the money of his father cannot cure him from his illness: by night Ishaan turns into a raper; it’s like sleepwalking, only that Ishaan rapes people to satisfy is sexual animalistic instinct. He is not aware of what he is doing, and as soon as he awakes, even if he doesn’t remember anything, he hates himself for his doings. So Ishaan wants someone living with him to lock him into his room every night, not letting him out for any reason.

To Roan that is the answer: he will have sex with Ishann by night, while the man is not “conscious”, and then will play the role of the humble servant by day. The plan is perfect if not for the little detail that Roan falls in love for Ishaan and the feeling is mutual. How can he now admit to Ishaan that he was using him for months?

Both Roan than Ishaan are really young, and in a way, naïve. Sex for them is almost a trouble more than a pleasure, and so their relationship is built more on the mutual interest, that, being they so young, are really “innocent”: cooking, gardening, hunting and fishing… their love is more similar to that of teenage boys than that of young men. Maybe since not Roan or Ishaan had the chance to live their teenage years, they are not make up for the lost time.

As I said the setting is another important element; this is a futuristic world, a planet in another galaxy, after what you can probably call an “energetic” apocalypse. Common energy is not more available to the average people, only the very rich can afford it; computers, televisions, cars are still existing, but they are luxury items. Most people reverted back to the use of horses and coal, and they are now living in small town, sharing the space with paranormal creatures: the sheriffs and other police officers are shapeshifter dragons, mages living among humans are ordinary events, and so on. There was a little bit of steampunk feeling, maybe for the train arriving and living the city being the only connection with the outside world. In any case, the mix was good and nothing was “clashing”.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1692954.html

Since it’s not the first time I greatly appreciated a story by Katica Locke, I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I enjoyed this last one; it’s only a novella, and I started reading it in a break, almost with the idea to give it a “try” taste and maybe continue later, and instead I was captivated until the last word. And trust me, you need to read that last word to fully appreciate this story.

Kae is a werecat, a little tabby domestic cat; out of boring, he cruises Tyress, a middle-age man who is more or less trying to pick up every man passing him in the pub and not having any success, on the contrary, he is regarded as a pity case. But Kae sees something in Tyress and it’s not with pity that he starts talking with him, only to find out Tyress is an Huntsman, i.e. a deadly enemy of any wereshifter. Tyress claims to be retired and he more or less, lets Kae go without any harm if not some spiteful words, but you know, curiosity kills the cat, and Kae is not satisfied until he doesn’t push Tyress to action.

The story follows with a cat and mouse hunt (or better a man and cat hunt), mixing sex and passion, almost non con sex with funny moment, and boys, was that a masterly proof of Katica Locke’s skills, it was something almost impossible to manage, but I have never felt like Kae or Tyress were hurting from each other behaviour even if I was at the same time trying to understand what was their final target.

Katica Locke recreated a perfect werecat in Kae, a cat when he was in shifted form, but a man with some “feline” behavioural traits when he was in human form.; Tyress on the other hand was one of the best middle-age characters, with that bittersweetness of men who come to realize their youth is gone and they will be never able to catch it again, with too many regrets and too little good memories.

Very good story, highly recommended.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1458111.html

From the website: An impulsive werecat sparks a twisted game of cat and mouse he may not survive.
Huntsmen kill Werefolk--it's what they're trained to do. Kae, a young and impetuous werecat, knows this, but it doesn't stop him from following one surly Huntsman into the bathroom of a nightclub. One spontaneous, not completely unwanted sexual encounter later, he's running for his life, pursued by a Huntsman bent on murder...or is it simply revenge? Or is it something else entirely?½

From the website: King Mair's life is in the hands of a fae captive. Mair is the half-faerie son of the goblin king's sister, a product of rape at the hands of their enemy, the sidhe, and the last person that the goblin horde wants to see sit upon the throne. When the king is killed in battle and all of his sons die squabbling for the crown, Mair finds himself the sole heir to the throne--a position that he neither wants nor is likely to survive. To make matters worse, he is presented with a slave to see to his needs--a mute sidhe soldier captured in battle--and Mair is again reminded of how much he resembles the enemy.

The sidhe, Zakatri, is not as stupid and bloodthirsty as Mair expects, and they strike an uneasy alliance. If Zak can keep Mair alive until the coronation ceremony, Mair will grant the faerie his freedom in return. But will his bitter and vengeful half-goblin heart allow Mair to keep his promise, or will Zak's only reward be a goblin dagger between his ribs?

Forced to share his bed with the bound and naked slave in order to keep up pretenses, Mair suffers a moment of weakness and succumbs to the desires of the flesh, never imagining the consequences of this one thoughtless act.½

This is not the fairy tale I was expecting to read, and for one of the characters this is an unlucky event.

Ezarali is a seddryn sidhe, a special breed of fairies raised to be a special sexual gift to important people. But unfortunately for Ezarali, the man who receives him as a gift is not interested in his new toy and Ezarali is passed from hand to hand until he falls into a nightmare: Ezarali that was yes taught how to please a man, but that was a virgin waiting to gift his Master with his innocence, is raped and taken in captivity, worst than an animal. After months of this life he manages to run away, only to be taken again and sold to another human Master, Nathan.

Nathan’s story is almost unbelievable, but this is a fairy tale, so nothing is impossible; Nathan was an ordinary man, living an ordinary life until the day he witnesses a car accident and the tragic death of another man. Nathan is struck by something unknown and he starts to have “feline” urges and to hear a voice inside his head; not long after that, special alien agents come to his house telling him that he has to be relocated, that his life on Earth has to end, that he will be taught to be the werecougar he is now. In the new facility where he is moved, Nathan is alone and loneliness is even worst when Christmas is coming, Nathan misses his family and friends. Another guest in the facility thinks to make him happy gifting him a special pet, Ezarali.

This is an allegory of how you have to be careful to give someone a special gift, like a living being, if the other one is not interested or not caring. Ezarali was a special gift, someone to take care of; he has no the core, or the strength to be alone, and he is imprinted with the idea that what his Master wants, his Master will have, that what his Master does his right, even if it hurts or Ezarali doesn’t like it. Moreover, if the Master is not happy, than it’s Ezarali’s fault. Ezarali is not a simple character, and the reader cannot pretend from him to be strong or independent, it’s not part of Ezarali’s culture to be like that. Ezarali is something of beautiful and fragile and he needs the right environment to shine.

Nathan probably is not the right Master for him, but at least he is kind and caring. He is not rich or powerful, and he is not a faerie, but he knows what it means to be alone, and he has a gentle heart, and I don’t think he will ever do something to hurt Ezarali’s feelings. Now having sex with him the same day, without neither waiting for Ezarali to settle in, well, that maybe was not so considerate, but maybe it was a problem of story’s length, this is only a novella, or maybe Nathan did the only think that would convince Ezarali that he is wanted.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1152879.html

Even if I know, from previous experiences with this same publisher, that usually their novels are pretty tamed, I really didn’t expect for Katica Locke’s book to be “almost” a Young Adult story.

It’s a fantasy novel, but that type of fantasy that I don’t mind, since it’s not too heavy in setting details and so, difficult to follow. On the contrary, Magebound is a quick novel, not very long and easy to read in one session.

Lark is a slave and he has no chance to be something else; he lost his hope to be free sometime in the future, and when his last tentative to run away ended with him again on the slave’s market, he probably thought that it was time to renounce and let it go. When he is bought by a mage, he doesn’t know what it better, and he has some suicidal thoughts. But the experience of living with Lord Sactaren, Naeven, is completely different from what he was expecting.

When Lark starts his new life as salesman for the mage’s potion, in a shop inside the mage’s castle, the novel takes almost a “domestic” turn; all right, there is a cat shifter who can speak even when he is in his feline form, there is a spidersmith, that is a spider very skilled in the smith work, there are strange animals who can talk with their hands, and so on and so far. But basically, what Lark does is being a salesman, and people come to him asking for both human than animal potion, to cure practically everything.

Also Lark’s relationship with Naeven is strange; from the first moment, Naeven treats Lark more like a friend, or at least someone at his same level, and not as a slave. There are some hints that Naeven is homosexual, but he is also married, with a woman that lives inside the castle but not “with” his husband; she is a wife by contract, her task is to produce an heir, but I’m wondering how that could happen, since Naeven apparently hardly speaks with her, let alone sleep.

Lark is a mix of innocence and mistrust; other hints let the reader understand that he was raped by his previous owners, and so he links sex with pain; when he starts to feel something for Naeven, he is not able to link it to sexual desire, since for him there is nothing good in sex. Plus it’s not that Naeven is clear in his intention, and so most of the book is spent with the two of them who are not able to find a common starting point.

I see in Lark a possible point of connection between the mage and the village; even if Naeven has done anything in this story to justify the village’s attitude, he is not considered a “good” master; people fear him, and I didn’t understand if it was a totally misunderstanding, or if indeed Naeven did something in the past. In the end, I had the feeling that this was only the starting of a more complex story, I think Katica Locke is not yet finished with these characters and I hope she will consider to write more about Khas, I’d really like for him to coming back.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933720654/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

I purchased this book on a whim, as it was recommended to me by Amazon and in my quick pick list. It’s billed as a fantasy story, which is my favorite genre. It turned out to be a lovely gem that I enjoyed greatly. Though it is nowhere near the level of a true fantasy book like the Nightrunner series , it is more than just M/M romance with fantasy window-dressing. The author puts considerable effort into building her fantasy world with rich descriptions, and fine details that bring it to life.

Lark is a slave, and has been for 13 years. The story is told from his POV. It begins with Lark being purchased by a mage’s servant at the market. Lark is surprised to find he is given his own room, clean, well-made clothes and a job running the mage’s magic shop. I’ve read a lot of romances where the prostitute or slave is “rescued” by a loving master. And at first, this story seems to be the same. Except the author gets surprisingly realistic with the idea (despite the fantasy elements). How could a slave, brainwashed by years of slavery and abuse to obey, fear and never trust, enter into a relationship between equals? Lark has been beaten and raped by previous owners – wouldn’t it be natural for him to suspect his attraction to Naeven as a spell? How could he desire something which caused him pain and humiliation in the past? It is also believable that he would suspect any altruistic action on his new master’s part as having an ulterior motive. Naeven insists he doesn’t want to be called master, and he doesn’t abuse or mistreat Lark, but he doesn’t give Lark his freedom either. The angst between them wasn’t just an annoyance, it made sense as attraction grew between them. And, the attraction is clear from both parties.

I loved how the author made Naeven such a mystery. His motives are never fully clear, even as Lark begins to see that Naeven doesn’t see him as only property. Since the book is told through Lark’s eyes, the romance is also built that way. It is slowly built, with a lot of sexual tension. For those wondering, the book has no explicit sex, though there are a couple very sensual scenes. I usually like there to be sex in books (whether romance or not), but here I didn’t really miss it. It was a tender, sensual romance that worked perfectly. I loved the characters by the end, and wanted to spend more time with them. The secondary character of Schaff, a cat who talks, is a great addition. He’s snarky, sarcastic and has some of the best lines in the book. And the most ambiguous motives.

My only gripe is that the book ended with an obvious need for a sequel. There was some closure, but questions were also left unanswered and a new character introduced that needs more. This doesn’t prevent me from recommending the book (as even if a sequel never comes, I won’t regret reading it), but it does set me to begging the author…please, please!

Mair doesn’t particular like the goblins, the people from his mother side, but they are the only family he has always known. Born from a rape his mother was subjected, she managed to escape and come back to her home, but then she discovered she was with a child. All her people told her to kill the baby, the bastard son of a fairy, but he was also her son, and she was the king’s sister, so her blood was enough to save him, almost. Many times goblins tried to kill Mair, once even his uncle, the king, but more or less he arrived to 23 years old unscathed but deeply alone. He is the spitting image of his father and so, where goblins are little, curved and with long horns, he is tall, lean, with a creamy complexion and two little wings he always hides. No one wants to be near him, other than his mother, and so he is not only alone, he also misses the human touch. And he hates his body, that is so different from what he is used to see around, and he hates sex, that he links to what happened to his mother.

When a turn of fate makes him the new king, Mair has to face many problem: first of all, everyone around him wants to kill him again, and second, has an healthy and young goblin, he is expected to have a sex slave to relieve him of his “needs”, and slaves are usually fairies. The one they brought to him is Zak, a music fairy that his now mute due to a bad wound. For any parameter Zak is a beautiful man, but for Mair he’s also a constant remember that he is not like the others. He is more like Zak.

There is a strange contraposition between Mair and Zak. It’s clear that Zak is stronger, not only in body but also in inner strength, but sometime I had the feeling that he didn’t want to fight back. It’s not clear if Zak was a warrior caught in battle, or if he was a slave even before, for sure at first he is scared by the situation but then maybe he realizes that Mair is not exactly the ugly and dangerous goblin king he was expecting. In that moment I had the clear idea that Zak chose to be with Mair, as a slave, not since he was forced but since he wanted.

The novel didn’t show us how Mair will manage to be the king of a bunch of people that want to kill him, but I don’t think it will be easy. Mair, truth be told, has not the streak to be a leader, he is too gentle and troubled. He has too inner fears, true they are more psychological than real, but in any case I think he is not even interested in being a king. Maybe the relationship with Zak will help him, being the master even of only a man, it could be a first step to strengthen him to a bigger task.

The master slave relationship is only hinted, also since Mair as I said is not exactly a real master, and so also the sex is more “simple” and basic than in a BDSM relationship. Mair is too scared of sex to do something really wicked to Zak, and Zak, I think, is way more experienced than Mair, to be able to lead the younger man, at least in bed.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/875478.html