A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion by Jordan Castillo Price

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Brazen (Sweet Oblivion 1) by Jordan Castillo Price

Sweet Oblivion is the new continuing series in the adventures of goth boy Michael and his vampire lover Wild Bill. At the beginning of this relationship, Michael was the pursuer and Wild Bill the fugitive man: Michael young and naive was fascinated by Wild Bill, a vampire not so old for vampire standards, but old enough to hold a fascination on barely legal Michael. But Wild Bill knew that Michael was not the daring man he wanted to project, Michael was almost a child playing with his parents dresses.

With the growing of the relationship between Wild Bill and Michael, also the perception they have of each other is changing. Michael probably is starting to realize that Wild Bill is not some invincible creature, but that he is quite a normal "man", and as vampire, he is mourning his lost life; Wild Bill was turned when he was too young to be in mood to settle down and make a family, but probably now he wouldn't so against the idea; he is even trying to build a nest in the van they bought, giving an illusion of stability to their relationship. On the other hand Michael is exactly at that phase in which was Wild Bill when he was turned, young and eager to taste all what life could offer. Wild Bill is starting to realize that the young puppy he took off from the street is not a domestic pet, but a wild pup, and while growing, also his hunger is growing. The tables are turning and the maybe the "top" position is shifting from Wild Bill to Michael.

In this novella, Wild Bill and Michael experiment with having a third in their bed; and again it's Michael who leads the choice to whom invite in their bed, and it's Michael who, in the end, becomes the center of the playing; Damien, the third part, is almost a "mute" partner, no more than a sex toy used by Wild Bill and Michael. I'm true, I don't know if I like so much that an "odd man out" enters between Wild Bill and Michael, but truth be told, as I said, he is almost inexistent, I didn't feel nor from Wild Bill or Michael's side a bit of interest in opening their relationship more than only for a night of play.

Amazon Kindle: Sweet Oblivion 1: Brazen
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC (February 6, 2009)

Snare (Sweet Oblivion 2) by Jordan Castillo Price

Call me crazy, or hopelessly romantic, but I feel like Michael and Wild Bill are setting down... they are not yet arrived to decide china patterns, but I will not bet that it couldn't happen.

Some of this feelings arrive from the opening scene, where Michael is remembering some good moments of the past, when he had an home and a family, and this is reinforced when his sister Julie comes to visit, bringing a cell phone Michael's mother wants absolutely his son has with him. This cell phone represents a link with the past, but also a bridge to a possible future... again, call me crazy, but I can see a future for Michael and Wild Bill near Michael's family, a future in which Michael finally starts college and Wild Bill... well I don't know, maybe he will play the housewife.

Anyway it's not only the cell phone that gave me that idea, it's also the sex between Michael and Wild Bill (and yes, only between Michael and Wild Bill, not intruder this time); I don't exactly remember if in the past it was so intimate like this time, I remember it was hot the first time they did IT alone, but this time I could almost feel their bodies, Michael's emotions were bare and Wild Bill seemed gentler and more caring. It was also one of the few time that anything of vampire interferes between them, there was not the urge of feeding, but only the strong pull to be together, as near as possible, more one body than two. I don't know, it was almost like if Michael was more aware of his body, and of the things his lover was doing to his body, and above all he was more aware of who was doing that... Wild Bill was no more only his lover, he was his partner, the half share of a whole they can be only together.

There is also another step in Michael's discovery journey for something even him doesn't know what, but it's not the focus of the story; it's an important detail, probably it bears an important clue for the future books, but I was so entranced by the previous sex scene between Michael and Wild Bill, that I read all the rest of the story in a dazed condition, still lingering with the mind on what has happened just before. If someone reading this series has ever doubted on Michael and Wild Bill's love, reading this book he will dissipate all of them.

Amazon Kindle: Sweet Oblivion 2: Snare
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC (April 3, 2009)

Fluid (Sweet Oblivion 3) by Jordan Castillo Price

Fluid is almost a connecting book in the Sweet Oblivion series. There aren't surprising turns of event that are decisively for the continuation of the story, maybe what I noticed more is that Wild Bill is starting to realize that he is a vampire... really? didn't he know before?... I'm joking, what I mean is that even if he has the look of a young man, he is older than that, and living with Michael, barely legal, makes him realize that he has years and years behind the shoulder. The excitement to find a new and young prey every night is starting to wear off and probably Michael is growing on him, or so he thinks.

On the other side, Michael is always more in love with his vampire, but his love is no more an adoration thing; it's true that he is growing, but not tired of Wild Bill, he is starting to think that maybe there is something else in life than searching and killing renegade vampires. For how many you kill, other are out there, and they are only two alone against the world. Maybe working from the inside will be better? Teaching to vampires how to be a blood sucker without being a killer?

Both men have some thinking to do, what I love of this series is that, despite all the strange events, neither of them has ever thought to let it go, never once Wild Bill thought that maybe Michael would be better without him around, and never once Michael thought that out there there could be someone better that Wild Bill. They have to decide what to do of their life, but one thing they know, they will decide together and they will bring on that decision together... or at least I hope ;-) With the help of Michael, Wild Bill is becoming a better man... vampire, giving a sense to his life, and with the help of Wild Bill, Michael is finding who he wants to be. All in all Michael is a teenager with all the doubts and unsecurities of that age.

Amazon Kindle: Sweet Oblivion 3: Fluid
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC (May 29, 2009)

Swarm (Sweet Oblivion 4) by Jordan Castillo Price

I had the feeling that for Michael and Wild Bill is coming the game over. Until now, Michael has faced all this adventure like a video-game, he is enjoying the ride and it seems that, as soon as he had a problem, Wild Bill was there with a spare life to play again. But now that they are almost settling in a “steady” life, Michael attending college (I think it’s college, since he is doing a practice as veterinary), things are starting to change for them.

Michael starts to be no more immune to the vamp bug, he has desires, blood desires, that are more of a vampire than a donor, and trying to deny this new side of his life together with Wild Bill, I think he tried to make Wild Bill more similar to him, more human. Michael questions Wild Bill on his previous life, before being turned, and in doing so, he upsets Wild Bill. I had the feeling that Wild Bill didn’t want to remember, maybe since he didn’t like his previous life, or maybe since he doesn’t want to regret what he can not more have.

Aside from Michael searching reassuring in all things human, the sexual relationship between Michael and Wild Bill is always good. Michael pushes a bit Wild Bill, exactly in having him showing a bit his “wild” side, and both of them enjoy the result: Wild Bill during sex knows how far he can go, and Michael always enjoys to being a bit on the edge.

Amazon Kindle: Sweet Oblivion 4: Swarm
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC (August 14, 2009)

Elixir (Sweet Oblivion 5) by Jordan Castillo Price

Elixir is, at least for now, the last instalment in the Wild Bill and Michael’s series; I think the author wanted to prove that these two are not your ordinary romance couple, and that the reader (me) was wrong in thinking they were heading towards a some sort of blissful 2.5 kids suburban little house peace.

First of all the novella starts with a very erotic sex scene, a scene that gives back to Michael the emo boy role he had at the beginning, making him a little more hunter and a little less boyfriend. Second the reader soon realizes the sex scene is like a leitmotiv, playing underneath the main story, that is about how both Bill than Michael need to “escape” from the blissful peace of above to survive. They are not made to be an ordinary couple, their fate is to be on the run, living in the back of a minivan and tasting the very essence of life, right from the source and not processed by “normality”.

Again then, as I noticed in a previous instalment, a little of who Wild Bill was before he was turning makes its appearance, and even more than before, the final conclusion of both Bill than the reader, is that Wild Bill is better as a vampire than he was as a human; not only he is a better “man”, he is also better partner for Michael. And facing the chance to be “normal” again (what a bad word, normal…), both Wild Bill than Michael will choose to be “wild” together and forever.

Amazon Kindle: Sweet Oblivion 5: Elixir
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC (October 2, 2009)

Amazon: A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: JCP Books (January 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935540203
ISBN-13: 978-1935540205

Series:
1) Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/283039.html
2) A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I feel a bit more free when it's the publisher in the blurb that gives some details more. Once an author mildly complain since I posted a review on a M/M romance, but one of the man started in drag and he probably wanted to "maintain" the secret. But if you read the blurb it was clear that it was about two man, and it was sold as M/M romance.

[valkovalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, if the information is already in the blurb, then the author is unreasonable to complain. That information is free for you to comment on.