Left Side of the Moon (Dance Wars) by Sophia Titheniel

[reviews_and_ramblings]

First of all about this ebook it's the nice surprise that it's quite long for a Changeling Press' typical book lenght, 62 pages but small type. Second surprise: it's a very strong but very erotic book, not romance, not dancing around, but full and graphic detail sex.

Lachlan is a futuristic Pony Express in an apocalyptic United States. In this world, some places are safer than other: Washington is among the not safe and Lachlan should pass as fast as he can. And instead he stops, not only he enters a downtown pub that it's all than safe and as soon as he enters the place, he is challenged. But the type of war they make there is not the type he is used: they dance! Dance war to challenge each other and determine who is the best. Adair, the leader of one of the gang, is not out typical dancer: he is strong and very handsome, a man who probably could fight also with his fists other than with his legs on a stage.

And when Lachlan questions Adair's skill outside the pub, he asks for an almost rape scene; they have sex rough and fast, Lachlan surrenders all he has to Adair, begging for more. And when Adair sends him away after his best ever sexual experience, Lachlan comes back to ask more and more. There is no romance, there aren't nice words, Adair is a strong alpha and Lachlan is a begging omega, without any intention to question who has the upper hand in their sexual relationship... in private life I don't know, since Adair and Lachlan seem to always being in bed when they are together.

All in all the story surprise me, for its forceful sex, but also for the characters that are not at all as you can expect: Lachlan manages to remain a strong character despite being a "beggar" in bed, and Adair is a total top despite his dancing fight skill... yes, I know, I'm influenced by my culture, I know that if a man begs in bed or can dance it's not said that he should be a bottom, but for me this means that the author was able to go outside the usual boundaries.

Side note: despite the cover and Adair being a werewolf, there is not any hint on sex in shift form.

http://www.changelingpress.com/index.php?uaid=ISFUDNYA

Reading List:

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

Comments

[rbm00.livejournal.com]

"But the type of war they make there is not the type he is used: they dance! Dance war to challenge each other and determine who is the best."

DDR? :D

"Second surprise: it's a very strong but very erotic book, not romance, not dancing around, but full and graphic detail sex."

Maybe I will check this book out. The description reminds me of the Channeling Morpheus series by JCP. Maybe I've developed a taste for books with character relationships established through sex. It sounds really interesting too. Battle through dance :) And it looks like there's some power issues going on between the two?

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

> And it looks like there's some power issues going on between the two?

If they aren't having sex yes, Lachlan is independent and strong, but it's driven by sex to Adair, in a way he can't help to. Elisa

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

See, books like this I have trouble with. The speculative fiction elements, the world building, makes no sense.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Fantasy genre first, futuristic second are not my favorite either as a reader. I prefer a "normal" contemporary or a good historical. But as I said in the past, when I started reading M/M romance it seemed that the futuristic setting was very common, and so I started to read also this genre. Said that, usually it's hard to surprise me or draw me to a story, and I'm not either the reader who likes a lot of sex. But for a rather medium long story, with a lot of sex, this author manage both. Elisa

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

I guess with my background in spec fic, I can't like a story that is fantastical that lacks the chops to be published in say Strange Horizons or Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet. A lot of m/m romance set in alternative worlds don't understand that the setting is a character, too, and that magic affects the world just as science does.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Not to minimize the M/M romance authors in this genre, but most of the time I feel like they choose this setting since it allows them to be more free without the boundaries of contemporary or historical society. It's easier.

[aelfwitchfic.livejournal.com]

This seems like a very different kind of werewolf story. I was disappointed to read that there was no love story in this...so basically the characters of Adair and Lachlan just have sex whenever they encounter one another? It may be a play on dominance and role reversal (with some hints at co-dependency), but I could not say for certain since I have not read it...still, your review peeked my interest.

thank you ;)

^V^

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Mmm, well, for sure sex is what they draw them together, but Lachlan is quite addicted from Adair, so, in a way, you can say that it's also a love story. And Adair doesn't kill Lachlan :-) Elisa