Devon’s review of Strands of Sunlight by Anya Bast
Fantasy Erotic Romance dBook released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Sep 08

Welcome back to the hills and dales of Erotic Romance land, where the cream flows freely, the hammers are hard and it’s all about fulfilling her sexual needs. And his. And the other guy’s too. It’s a fun place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. The formula can be predictable and cheesy and inspire groans rather than arousal. But when they are done right, wowza! And this, ladies, was a hot one. Very hot, and it also had enough of a plot and a romance to keep me interested.

Strands of Sunlight takes place in a fantasy land which strongly resembles Medieval Europe. There is enough detail to the setting to give it a real fantasy flavor, rather than wallpaper for sexual shenanigans. It is the story of Rhiannon, an abused indentured servant. She fears that her magical powers will result in her death, as it did for her mother. Then one day she is whisked away by the intimidating Prince Gareth to his castle to reclaim her birthright. Rhiannon will find many secrets, and perhaps, love (great sex, for sure).

The characters really made this book. Rhiannon was intelligent and feisty, in a good way. She does have one TSTL moment at the end, but I forgave it because I liked her otherwise. Every once in awhile, a brutish, almost sociopathic hero really hits the spot. Some writers just know how to write them with just enough…something to keep them sympathetic. Tristan was way overboard with the “I can’t…No, I won’t…No, I don’t love her” thing, and the “she deserves better than me” thing. He pushed Rhiannon away one too many times, but still I liked him lots, and the two had great chemistry and believable emotion between them.

Gareth, Tristan’s best friend and Rhiannon’s champion, was not quite as interesting, but quite likeable as well. Bast created interesting relationships between all three, and the chemistry among the characters translated into some awesome sex scenes. There was one early one that normally would’ve seemed inappropriate (even creepy) to me, but I liked it. I’m also not a big fan of the (almost obligatory) ménage scene. The scenes can be very erotic, but there’s often some trumped up justification for them to make me laugh (Saving the planet! Stopping War! Ordained by fate!). These ones worked for me, because it was just two men who loved one woman and couldn’t quite give her up. Despite the slight overuse of the C-word, I really enjoyed the author’s earthy, straightforward love scenes.

My only other quibble is that the pacing felt a bit off to me. Certain declarations of love came so soon that the conflict after felt forced and manufactured. Overall, it did the trick. If you want something spicy, and you enjoy a bit of fantasy with your romance, it’s definitely worth a try. I’d try Anya Bast again in the future.

Grade: B

The Summary:
Rhiannon always thought she was just a lowborn peasant. When a mysterious lord buys her contract of servitude and brings her back to his keep, she finds out she’s actually the bastard daughter of a great lady. She also discovers she’s prophesied to kill the man responsible for her mother’s undoing.

And prophesied to die while doing it.

At the keep, Rhiannon is caught between two men. Tristan is the severe and sometimes brutal lord who introduces her to erotic bliss and binds her there, helplessly addicted to his every whim. And Gareth is the shining, handsome knight who treats her like the lady she never knew she was. In competition, Tristan and Gareth tempt her with physical pleasure beyond her imagination. Both of them stake a claim on her body, but only one of them will win her heart.

Read an excerpt