"a fascinating read"
Warning, you are about to experience the past, welcome to
another world, the world of Sylvanus; a man of great
strength and intelligence and in his world only men like
him ruled, and they will not be questioned. No, this is not
another planet, it's our own past. Loyalty is a complex
bond that forms in men and women, Sylvanus must demand
respect, but in so doing he also earns the respect he
demands. His world is about to change forever when in one
act of bravery, a beautiful young girl's life will be saved
and reborn at the hands of the strong, handsome and
sexually dominate Sylvanus. For Sylvanus, his treasure
becomes everything, even in the face of betrayals and
dangers that may face the new found lovers. Grateful to her
savior for saving her, the lass must now learn her new
place and that he is now the center of her world. He will
train her to know that she is his. He alone will have her.
He alone can make her body respond with such desire and he
will protect her as is his right. She will learn because he
will teach her, she will always belong to Sylvanus, but he
will find out she has more than a few things to teach the
hardened warrior was well. Can master and slave find love?
In this world where only the strongest and most cunning
survive, one does what one must. For Sylvanus, this will
mean rebuilding his entire life, and protecting that which
is his, this is only something a true man can do. They live
and they love and they care for theirs. Some SCA members love celebrating the past and live for
their weekends away. The drumming, the bellydancing, the
sword fights, the role playing, which sometimes moves into
the bedroom, all of it. And they love their time at
gatherings with their friends. The times they recreate are
from a past life that was rife with passions and
excitement. This is a time when the world was ruled by the
sword and the strong arm that wielded it, a time when women
cleaved to the men that were their protectors, their Lord
and Master. In this time and place, men rule the world and
that is what attracts some men to the SCA, others are
attracted for varied other reasons, some to experience the
past, some women desire to submit fully to the man you have
entrusted your life to, be his devoted slave and perhaps
more. However, something strange is happening, a Florida
SCA site has rumors abounding of missing people. In the
midst of horrible electrical storms, some unsuspecting
SCAdians will be experiencing their role playing in a very
real sense. Hopefully they are prepared for what life will
really be like in the past they love so dearly. They will
also soon find out that in order to survive, one must have
loyal friends, men that they could trust and in turn aid.
Those unlucky enough to stumble on that time traveling
vortex will find out just what the period of Lords and
Ladies has in store for them. All the beauty, the
pageantry, the harshest, and most brutal of realities will
all be seen. Some of those realities are hard to handle for
the faint of heart, so be warned. Not only SCA members
stumble into this trap, but so do unsuspecting travelers.
Can they find their way together and survive this turbulent
trip into the past to create a bright new future? Or will
they find their deaths among the hard life they had once
craved? Sylvanus finds that strange people begin to appear on his
land, but Lord Sylvanus is brilliant as well as fair,
though he must make shrewd decisions. He must decide if he
will help or turn these strangers away. Are they friend or
foe? The strangers fear what they will find in the new
Lord, but they must do what they must to survive. Can these
new found friends work together for the greater good of
them all? If that's possible, how will they then protect
themselves from the very real and ever present dangers that
will plague them in this strange new world? Ignorance,
violence and disease run rampant. Life is not easy and they
must learn to adapt and survive together. The travelers
strange ways alone can bring down the perils they will
face, and they face many in this exciting romp. What type
of future could come of the melding of times? Master Anthony Stevens has proven his mastery! Mr. Stevens
has certainly done his homework, I am impressed! If you are
a history buff, as I am, there is nothing better than a
well thought out and accurate historical backdrop in
fiction. His explanation of time travel is one I found to
be very interesting and plausible at that, it struck a
cord. It draws one further into the story. You find
yourself wondering if it's possible, read it and see what I
mean. The many characters are all unique and develop in a
way that is very touching. The references to the Old
Religion are quite accurate and respectfully done; Vixen's
character was particularly fascinating to me as a reader,
her emotions are so endearing you can't help but love the
lass. They each bring a nuance to the story that makes it a
highly enjoyable read. In particular, Sylvanus is an
amazing character and you will find he has many facets that
constantly surprise you. He is intensely dominant, his
training of his slave is amazingly breathtaking in its
intensity and use of light bondage, but the depth of
emotion he is capable of was very surprising. That is what
makes his character so intriguing. I highly recommend this
book if you are a history buff, into the SCA or just love a
good time travel. My only warning to readers is that this
is not a fluff read, do not expect a light romp into the
past, these themes are adult, thought out, some violent or
cruel in their intensity, but their need was nonetheless
important to the development of this book. If you prefer
substance in your reading and are not a fan of light fluffy
reading, this book is a must read. I look forward to many
more books from Anthony Stevens, and may I say
congratulations to Lyrical Press, Renee and company are
well on their way to becoming a success!
Reviewed by Stephanie Q. McGrath
Posted May 13, 2008
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