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Masters & Mates by Stormy Glenn
Mar. 16th, 2010 09:00 am
Dream Mate (The Katzman's Mates 2) by Stormy GlennI was really surprised, after reading the previous book and posting about it, to discover that The Katman's Mate was so popular among the M/M romance readers. And no, it was not a surprise due to the fact that the book was not good, as I said in my previous post, despite some typo errors, I really enjoyed that story, but I really thought it was not a story for all. There are some squeack factors that I thought would have taken aback some readers, especially male readers, and instead I have a first hand experience of a male reader who said it loved it... so, maybe, even if I try not to, also I have some preconceived ideas that are wrong.
The Katzman's Mate, and Dream Mate even more, are male pregnancy stories. I couldn't say it clearly in the previous post, since the male pregnancy of the main character was the final surprise of that book, but here instead is the central event and even the starting point: Demyan, mate of the Katzmen ruler, Chellak, is pregnant and he wants a doctor from his own planet. Chellak, who dotes on his mate, sends one of his warrior, Trajan, to fetch a suitable doctor. When Trajan arrives on Elquone and sees for the first time Saris, the chosen doctor, he knows that he has found his mate. Saris was a bruter, a genetically changed man who is able to give birth, but he didn't like the side effect, being a property of the sire of the babies, and chose to be a doctor for them, instead. Even if he doesn't like the idea to be the property of a man, also him recognizes Trajan as his mate, since he is the man he dreams at night.
From this moment on the story follows the usual path: the two fall in love, they have to overcome some perils, in between they have the chance to deepen their relationship, even to "mate" a time or two, and then the happily ever after, with full accessories. Again I think the story is very much as an old classic futuristic romance, when I read story like this one, I always think to Johanna Lindsey and her Warrior's Woman, and it's a compliment I'm paying to the books, I loved that old savage futuristic romance.
What struck me is that a story like this one could be of appeal for a man. All right, I can understand the appealing for a woman, seeing a man going through the labor (pun intended) of a pregnancy is like a little vengeance; no, I don't think it's much the idea to "womanize" the man, it's more a thing of "see what it means?". But for a man? maybe the appeal is the idea that, even if in a fictional way, the men are now independent from women, even for that "little" particular that is pregnancy (again reverse pun intended).
What probably it's less "squick" here than in the previous story, is that Saris is a little less feminine; not in body, he is, like Demyan, lithe, small and beautiful, almost cute like Trajan thinks, but at least in behavior he is stronger; he is also more independent than Demyan, he has a strong core that let me think that he would be able to take care of himself even alone, something that I didn't feel for Demyan.
Anyway, again, the story was surprisingly easy to read, and this comes from someone like me that usually is not very fond of Futuristic/Fantasy setting. Truth be told, I was expecting a sequel to the previous book with the two main characters of before as central characters here, and instead this second book is focused on another couple... nevermind, we have still the chance to see what happened to Demyan and Chellak, and from the plan of this story, I think that the author is not yet finished, there are at least 2 other men that could probably be future main characters in other sequels.http://www.bookstrand.com/dream-mate
Amazon Kindle: Dream Mate
Amazon: Masters & Mates (print book)
Series:
1) The Katzman's Mate: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/776839.html
2) Dream Mate
Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
As always, congrats to all the authors, but a special break a leg wish to who I hosted/reviewed/featured in this LiveJournal. 
- Portland Queer: Tales of the Rose City, edited by Ariel Gore (Lit Star Press) 
- Revenge of the Women's Studies Professor, by Bonnie L. Morris (Indiana University Press) 
- In the Closet, Under the Bed, by Lee Thomas (Dark Scribe Press) 
- The Resurrection of the Body: Pier Paolo Pasolini from Saint Paul to Sade, by Armando Maggi (University of Chicago Press) 
- Leaving India: My Family's Journey From Five Villages to Five Continents, by Minal Hajratwala (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) 
- The Bigness of the World, by Lori Ostlund (University of Georgia Press) 
- Flesh and Bone, by Ronica Black (Bold Strokes Books) 
Lesbian Fiction 
Lesbian Memoir/Biography 
- Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division, by Jon Ginoli (Cleis Press) 
- 
- 
As always, congrats to all the authors, but a special break a leg wish to who I hosted/reviewed/featured in this LiveJournal. 
- Portland Queer: Tales of the Rose City, edited by Ariel Gore (Lit Star Press) 
- Revenge of the Women's Studies Professor, by Bonnie L. Morris (Indiana University Press) 
- In the Closet, Under the Bed, by Lee Thomas (Dark Scribe Press) 
- The Resurrection of the Body: Pier Paolo Pasolini from Saint Paul to Sade, by Armando Maggi (University of Chicago Press) 
- Leaving India: My Family's Journey From Five Villages to Five Continents, by Minal Hajratwala (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) 
- The Bigness of the World, by Lori Ostlund (University of Georgia Press) 
- Flesh and Bone, by Ronica Black (Bold Strokes Books) 
Lesbian Fiction 
Lesbian Memoir/Biography 
- Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division, by Jon Ginoli (Cleis Press) 
- 
- 
Dream Mate (The Katzman's Mates 2) by Stormy Glenn
Anyway, again, the story was surprisingly easy to read, and this comes from someone like me that usually is not very fond of Futuristic/Fantasy setting. Truth be told, I was expecting a sequel to the previous book with the two main characters of before as central characters here, and instead this second book is focused on another couple... nevermind, we have still the chance to see what happened to Demyan and Chellak, and from the plan of this story, I think that the author is not yet finished, there are at least 2 other men that could probably be future main characters in other sequels.
1) Like most writers and readers I know, I love a good story. In that vein, I must recommend my first albeit somewhat dark choice: ARDENNIAN BOY by William Maltese and Wayne Gunn, two writer's I personally admire. When I began writing, a writer friend recommended that I master writing three particular things: love, sex and violence. THE ARDENNIAN BOY epitomizes these "to the max" as only a couple master m/m erotic romance writers could accomplish. It is the retelling of a tumultuous physical love affair between the two historical poets, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine. It is not an HEA (happily ever after) romantic fantasy, and yet it is, as both men, in the end, rise to the pinnacle of their creative powers as a result of their relationship. But, in the end, what relationship? Where does such creative critical mass ultimately lead? Harsh, sometimes brutal, but forever memorable, I regard THE ARDENNIAN BOY as the piece de resistance in my personal library. 
2) An m/m historical erotic romance far ahead of its time that has a singular place in my personal library, THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault, is the life story of a eunuch set during the rise and fall of Alexander the Great's reign. I love it as a story of awakening m/m erotic romance between a young man forever denied his physical right to procreate, and another with everything he could ever hope to have, except that once-in-a-lifetime selfless love coupled with unbridled passion that we all wish for. Neither, in Renault's compelling story, was born to same-sex love, but each finds in it, something that he values. It is the circuitous path of their slowly-evolving, dialectically cultural, flagrantly dangerous relationship and its unique outcome that make this one of my precious, lifelong rereads. 
1) Like most writers and readers I know, I love a good story. In that vein, I must recommend my first albeit somewhat dark choice: ARDENNIAN BOY by William Maltese and Wayne Gunn, two writer's I personally admire. When I began writing, a writer friend recommended that I master writing three particular things: love, sex and violence. THE ARDENNIAN BOY epitomizes these "to the max" as only a couple master m/m erotic romance writers could accomplish. It is the retelling of a tumultuous physical love affair between the two historical poets, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine. It is not an HEA (happily ever after) romantic fantasy, and yet it is, as both men, in the end, rise to the pinnacle of their creative powers as a result of their relationship. But, in the end, what relationship? Where does such creative critical mass ultimately lead? Harsh, sometimes brutal, but forever memorable, I regard THE ARDENNIAN BOY as the piece de resistance in my personal library. 
2) An m/m historical erotic romance far ahead of its time that has a singular place in my personal library, THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault, is the life story of a eunuch set during the rise and fall of Alexander the Great's reign. I love it as a story of awakening m/m erotic romance between a young man forever denied his physical right to procreate, and another with everything he could ever hope to have, except that once-in-a-lifetime selfless love coupled with unbridled passion that we all wish for. Neither, in Renault's compelling story, was born to same-sex love, but each finds in it, something that he values. It is the circuitous path of their slowly-evolving, dialectically cultural, flagrantly dangerous relationship and its unique outcome that make this one of my precious, lifelong rereads.