Aneshu by L.E. Bryce

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Aneshu is an actor. In the fantasy world of Tajhaan, almost all actors are slaves, mostly former akesh, sex slaves. And so was Aneshu, sold by his family at six years old during a long famine, and raised to be a sex slave. But his last owner, was also an entrepreneur, and he saw in Aneshu the ability to be a good actor. Now Aneshu is the second lead actor in the troupe, and if he plays good on stage, he can have a pretty good life for a slave, and above all he is no more bound to sell his body for a master's profit.

So when his performance on stage of the god Ezru gains him the attention of a nobleman, Aneshu is not pleased. His social status doesn't allow him to refuse the advances of a so high level man, but Aneshu is not interested in all the jewels and gifts he can obtain lying with the man. Doesn't matter what all the other actors, and above all young Elami, think, Aneshu is not for selling.

But Ihmar, the nobleman, is not searching what Aneshu thought. Ihmar is noble in body and also mind, and he is only interested in the good performance Aneshu can do on stage. But before Aneshu can really know the man, a coup d'état confines Aneshu and his friends inside the city, and all around him seems to collapse. In this new situation, Aneshu sees with different eyes also Elami, a man he thought venial and silly.

As always L.E. Bryce is a master in creating a wonderful fantasy world and she is specially careful in crafting all the details. There are social status and rules, custom and cultures that mix and melt to create a perfect and entertaining mixture. Maybe love and romance are not the main engines of the story, and sex even less, but this doesn't mean that they are not present. Au contraire, sometime L.E. Bryce's books are very erotic, since sex becomes an art, done and played with expertize.

This tale has not a standard ending, but for me it's an happy ending: Aneshu learns about himself and his strenght, and also to look around, to not always think to his little world. And maybe he also learns to not always trust the first impression, and to search the different layers of people: people are not their status, and they can reserve you some surprise.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Aneshu/exact_match=exact

Amazon Kindle: Aneshu
Publisher: Phaze Books (July 1, 2010)

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