Shannon C.’s review of Crossing Swords (Emissaries of Belthalas Series) by Kirsten Saell
Erotic fantasy romance eBook released by Samhain Publishing 11 Mar 08
I’m still enough of a baby reviewer that I can count on both hands the number of authors I actually would call friends. So I’m still anxious about reviewing them when their books come out. I haven’t known Kirsten Saell very long, but our emails have been wide-ranging and sometimes epic-length. I was fairly sure I’d love her debut, Crossing Swords, but I put off reading it because I didn’t want to hate it. I’m glad to say that I did, in fact, love the book, so I needn’t have worried.
Saell’s debut is set in a fantasy world that, while it’s not developed just yet, seems like an interesting place. Lianon, our heroine, approaches the hero, Gil, an assassin, dressed in drag and takes a contract out on… herself. They fight a duel, whereupon Gil realizes that this comely young man is, in fact, a woman. Needless to say, this irritates him. But he’s even more dismayed to learn that Lianon still has powerful enemies that want her dead.
Why did I love this story? One word: Lianon. I love a strong, kick-ass yet vulnerable woman, and Lianon is all that. Her angst felt very real, and at no time did I want to tell her to get a Kleenex and get over it the way I usually do. Plus, I loved that Gil recognized Lianon’s strengths. This isn’t one of those stories where the butch girl gets a makeover, becomes feminine, and suddenly her life is easier and everyone wuvs her. Gil even mentions that, the one time he sees Lianon in a dress, she is aluring but a bit diminished. I really liked that.
As for Gil, he’s cool in his own right. Like Lianon, he has his baggage, but he complements her well. I especially appreciated that Gil has friends and interests outside of Lianon, which made him seem to be a well-rounded character. And the chemistry between himself and Lianon? Definitely hot.
the secondary characters, particularly Viera, a local whore, and Aru, the local healer, are well-drawn and not simply thrown in because Yay sequel-bait! Aru in particular should be an interesting break from cliches because he’s not portrayed as an especially masculine man. And Viera seems to revel in being a whore, which I also find refreshing.
Ms. Saell manages to subvert a lot of the romance tropes that irritate me. Lianon is definitely not a placeholder to show how great a guy Gil is. Gil is alpha without being an asshole or totally emasculated. And the F/F interactions, (which I personally think there need to be more of in romance) weren’t simply foreplay so that Lianon would be ready for a real sexual experience.
In short, Ms. Saell writes exactly the kind of book there needs to be more of, one that is both empowering and sexy. And she accomplishes more in a short novel than others can manage in an epic doorstopper. Yes, I’ll be following this series, and I recommend it to anyone who likes well-written fantasy romance or romance with subversive elements.
Grade: A
Summary:
One duel. Easy money. Then Gil fell for his opponent.A straight duel to the death. A professional opponent who’s paying him to win. This was going to be the easiest money Gil had ever earned. Except he never counted on his opponent being a woman. And he never counted on falling for her.
After avenging the brutal murder of her lover, all Lianon wants is to die a clean death. Too bad the man she hired doesn’t do women, and he’s furious over her deception. Not only does he renege on their contract, he has the gall to lock her up in his apartment—naked, no less!—to punish her for her ruse.
If she could just get her mind out of the gutter, she’d cut him a new smile. But ever since he saw through her boy’s clothes, all she can think about is getting him naked, too.
But just when she’s found something to live for, the father of her lover’s murderer surfaces. He wants Lianon to die screaming—and he’s all too happy to take Gil down with her.
Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, including f/f; bad language; violence; bland, rubbery veal; a little sexual healing; and one killer blowjob.
Read an excerpt.
Thanks, Shannon! It’s as big a relief for me that you enjoyed it, as it was for you, I think. I hope you like Healer’s Touch just as much!
Oh nice review Shannon! I loved this book. It’s refreshing on so many counts. Like you, I also loved that Gil didn’t try to turn Lianon into being the soft girlie girl after they get together; he really enjoys her independent and feisty spirit.
But mainly I loved that this book has several elements in it that I find very rare. One is that it’s a fantasy romance, which I don’t see that often. I kind of liked that the world that they exist in isn’t overly defined, but still has a distinct ambiance around it. That left my imagination to fill in a lot, which I really liked.
Another, is that it’s got some f/f in it that isn’t for the guy’s benefit, or just thrown in there for some extra kink factor. You can really feel Lianon’s pain over the death of her wife, Rhianna, even though it’s a small part of the book. In fact that pain sets up the reason for whole story and defines how incredibly passionate Lianon is.
Nice excerpt! I’m intrigued.
Kirsten: Yeah, it’s definitely a relief to me that I liked this book. Now I just have to hope that the next experiment in reviewing my friends’ books goes so well!
MB: It’s hard to find *good* fantasy romance. Of course, I could just be really picky, because I’ve read fantasy longer than I have romance and I expect the genres to blend well. I was glad this book had a fantasy feel instead of just using a magical place as an excuse for random sexoring. Oh, and yeah, I loved that Lianon was unashamedly bisexual!
Devon: For some reason I thought you had read this. But you should.