Shannon C.’s review of Bound by Steel (Emissaries of Belthalas, Book 2) by Kirsten Saell
Erotic fantasy romance eBook released by Samhain Publishing 14 Oct 08

I’ve long been a fan of Kirsten Saell, both as a person and as a writer. I love her take on fantasy romance, which is both sexy and believably fantastic. This third book set in the same universe as Crossing Swords and Healer’s Touch is no exception. It’s not as strong an entry in the series as some of her other books, but a weak entry in this series is still better than some other fantasy romance I’ve read.

This book picks up where Crossing Swords ended, with Lianon and Gil living with their servant, the young, skittish Kaela. Kaela’s slowly healing from her brutal rape, and she still sees herself as completely unlovable. Lianon wants to give her all the love she can, but Gil isn’t so sure, being afraid that his wife will love Kaela more than him. But when danger threatens Lianon, Gil and Kaela are drawn closer together.

I really liked what Ms. Saell has to say about gender overall throughout this book. There are lots of characters here with different sexual preferences. There’s Lianon, who still prefers to identify as male to strangers, there’s the more feminine Kaela, there’s straight male Gil and then there is the gay couple that is introduced later in the story. All of these people have complex relationships, and for the most part I really liked seeing them come together.

I thought the romantic dynamic between Gil, Lianon and Kaela was especially well-done. I liked that none of them were entirely sure what they were doing, but made it up as they went along. And though much of Kaela’s healing happens through sex, I liked the definite tenderness between her and her partners.

I also liked where Ms. Saell is taking the plot. I’m not sure there’s much more to happen for Gil and Lianon and Kaela, but the idea of Gil going into politics was an interesting one. Also, I liked that the villain gets exactly what they deserve, simply because it needs to be done, and that Lianon is the one to do it. I also liked that another character, who might have been pegged as a villain in another book was simply portrayed as a misguided man doing what he thought was best.

I do have a few nitpicks, though. Every time Lianon called Kaela “my lamb” or “my *insert other animal name*” I kept getting thrown out of the story, especially since the animal name changed several times. It seemed kind of out of character for Lianon in the first place, and was just a bit cheesy for me. I also question the need for the introduction of a couple of M/M scenes, which didn’t actually seem to serve any actual purpose in the story other than to announce possible sequel-baiting. I also felt the book dragged just a bit, without that sense of tight plotting that I got from the first two books.

Those all being said, this was a good entry in the series and provided some much needed closure for Gil and Lianon and Kaela. I can’t wait for Ms. Saell’s next entry in this series, and if you like well-written fantasy romance, you should give this a go.

Grade: B

Read more reviews for this series by following its tag.

Summary:
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A night of brutality destroyed her innocence…can the love of two people heal her wounded spirit?
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“I’ve been thinking about Kaela…”
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There they are—the words that lead Gil to suspect his wife Lianon is falling in love with Kaela, the beautiful, traumatized young woman they rescued from certain death six months ago. Gil has no idea how to compete with a woman for his wife’s affections, and part of him ceases to care as Kaela begins to work her way under his skin.
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Kaela’s sweet innocence fills a chasm in Lianon’s soul she hadn’t even realized was there. As she gently helps Kaela rebuild her shattered confidence, Lianon begins to believe healing the young woman’s wounded spirit could be the key to wholeness for all three of them. If Gil agrees to follow her lead and help Kaela discover her own feminine power.
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But even as they all succumb to their growing desire, Gil and Lianon are drawn against their will back into the intrigues and vendettas of Belthalas’ elite. With Lianon’s life at stake, Gil must weave a dangerous path between one adversary’s ambition and another’s lust for vengeance.
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Success will save Lianon…but could cost them Kaela.
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Warning: This title includes explicit sex, including f/f, m/m, m/f/f, anal sex; bad language; questionable politics; violence; stringy, overcooked lamb; a dog with a major drool problem; and one seriously well-deserved comeuppance.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

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.