House of Stone by Vaughn R. Demont

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This fantasy novel by Vaughn R. Demont is a mess… a totally ingenious one! It mixes savage romance with fairy tale with erotica, but it manages to make it all a perfect melting pot.

Count Pembroke Kendrick Llewellyn Richard Firemane, Lord of the House of Stone, Knight of the Realm, Viscount of the Benedict Shores, and Custodian of the Azure Blade, Dick for his friends, is a sidhe nobleman, perfect in body and naughty in soul. He has to maintain the estate his father left him, and more important than the property he has to preserve all the artists living inside it. Since Richard is not exactly prone to the mastery of the swords brandishing, he decided for an alternative career that seems to fit him better: he is a porn star! But don’t worry, he is not disgracing his House, since he always tops… on the screen. But when he goes back home, he forces himself on his squires Simaron, imposing him to perform for his master… as a top. Sim is always complaining that what they are doing is not proper, that his sir should not lower himself, but it’s hard to make Richard understand, after all he has always had Sim by his side and you can say that Sim was and still is the only man Richard has really ever loved.

Meet Lady Delia Isolde Jennifer Heartwood, Daughter of Countess Isolde of the Emerald Shores, soon-to-be bride of Richard. As Richard himself she has not intention to oblige what nobility is expecting from her, she is after all a knight, and a better warrior than Richard will ever be. When indeed they married, Richard takes the first chance he has to go on a quest, a search that will lead him to discover some unexpected roots in his family tree.

The story starts almost as an erotica tale, with Richard first acting in a porn movie and than having a private performance with Sim. Even if the matter was pretty much earthly, the language was flowery and rich, and it was like reading a medieval bard describing a porn movie set. The author is plenty joking on all the common myths about both medieval savage romance than fairy tale, but he decided to turn upside down all of them, or maybe not: Lord Richard is a bored aristocrat who would prefer to sing and write poems all day long, but he has indeed to provide for his people; of course “working” is not in question, and so acting in the porn industry is the best option so far. He is probably in love with his squire Sim, but even if no one will forbid him to have a sexual intercourse with him, to be in love is highly forbidden; servants can be at the same level of cherished pet, but sooner or later he will have to marry with a woman and have an heir or two (one t spare).

It is strange because basically the author deals with all the story in a very light and funny way, and then suddenly decided it was time to make Richard pays for all his carelessness: not that he dispossessed Richard and Sim of their happily ever after, but in a way he made Richard pay his toll.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/house-of-stone

Amazon Kindle: House of Stone

Reading List:

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

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you agree with me on this, I was totally kept from the beginning