bookthangs-blog

[bookthangs-blog]

The Red by Tiffany Reisz

A couple of years ago I discovered Tiffany Reisz' Original Sinners series via some Buzzfeed listicle on kinky erotica. Of the ten or so books listed, The Mistress seemed the most interesting and I scooped up a copy of the eBook that same day and was hooked. With that novel alone I knew that I'd be reading her work for a long time.

The thing about Reisz is that she loves a good mindfuck. Sure, she's capable of some truly steamy (understatement!) scenes that will have you squirming in your seat but she will challenge all of your preconceived notions at the same time. Never in my life would I have dreamed that the greatest love story of our time would be about a priest, a dominatrix, and a kink club owner (among other things).

I could go on about these books forever, but alas, this review is for The Red, due for release July 11th (8th Circle Press was kind enough to send me an advance copy).  So let's dive right in...

The premise for The Red is simple -- our protagonist Mona Lisa St. James swears to her dying mother that she will save her beloved art gallery. That promise proves hard to keep when financial troubles set in. Enter Malcolm, a mysterious stranger who offers her the perfect (?) solution. All he asks is that she submit to him for one year. He will come to her no more often than once a month, and after each assignation she will be paid with art, each piece more priceless than the last. While Mona has reservations about such an illicit arrangement, she eventually agrees, and that's when things really get interesting.

Each meeting has a theme derived from a particular work of art, and they run the gamut from the more traditional idea of submission (flogging) to more fantastical situations (my personal favorite, an encounter with the Minotaur of ancient myth). The Red is billed as an erotic fantasy and Reisz certainly delivers with beautiful prose sure to thrill. I am certainly no prude but I found myself blushing quite a bit.  

The sex scenes are enough for me to recommend this title on their own, yet in typical Reisz style there's more to the story. I hesitate to call The Red a coming-of-age tale, but we do get the pleasure of seeing Mona come into her own as a sexual being. She is no virgin at the beginning of the book, but as the story progresses she completely and shamelessly embraces her new role as Malcolm's whore.

The Red was such a fun read. It lacks some of the depth of the Original Series, but in all honesty it doesn’t need it. There’s even a supernatural element to this story that I actually enjoyed, which is more than I can say for some of Reisz’ previous paranormal storiese (see: The Night Mark, The Headmaster). Four stars for this bad boy. Pick up a copy for the spank bank, why don'tcha?

[bookthangs-blog]

Source.

[bookthangs-blog]

Memory plays tricks. Memory is another word for story, and nothing is more unreliable.

Ann-Marie MacDonald, Fall on Your Knees (via quoted-books)

[bookthangs-blog]

We tell ourselves lies to survive when we know the truth will kill us.

Tiffany Reisz, The Bourbon Thief (via quoted-books)

[bookthangs-blog]

“I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison

As Harlan Ellison's "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" is a short story, clocking in at about twenty pages, its review will be equally short:

Shit's weird, y'all.

I kid, I kid -- I'm certainly going to give you more than that. The story was written during the Cold War and Ellison's prediction for the future is grim, to say the very least. Following mounting tensions, the Cold War escalates into World War II, with the US, China, and the USSR as the main aggressors. Each superpower constructs its own supercomputer to run the wars for them, but they prove all too powerful when one gains sentience and absorbs the other two. Thus, AM, the "Aggressive Menace," is born. AM brings about the apocalypse, killing all of mankind save for five people who serve as his playthings. The word "playthings" sounds too nice, but I suppose it still applies. AM harbors immense hate for mankind, and subjects his "pets" to every imaginable (and unimaginable) cruelty for more than 100 years, driving each mad in their own way. The computer starves, maims, mutates, and berates them, all the while making them virtually immortal to ensure he has eternal amusement at their expense.

I liked this quite a bit, because I have a bit of an affinity for weird shit. Ellison's prose is both eloquent and raw, providing some serious psychological horror in less than two dozen pages. You can feel the narrator's paranoia pouring offhim in waves, his disjointed observations highlighting his degraded mental state. As you can imagine, some of the more detailed descriptions are horrific -- the final lines are especially haunting. It reminded me of a bleaker No Exit (I know, right?) with way higher stakes.

I'm going to give this one 3.5 stars. I knocked a half point off simply because I wanted to know more, as twisted as that may seem. It certainly isn’t suited to everyone’s tastes, but it sure sticks with you.  

[bookthangs-blog]

The Night Mark by Tiffany Riesz

I have been a long-time fan of Tiffany Riesz since I discovered her Original Sinners series some years back. The erotic romance series is not for the faint of heart, but it's plain to see that Reisz is a gifted storyteller. Not only is there some supremely steamy content but really touching sentiments on love, loss, grief, and heartbreak. I may do a write-up of this series at a later date. What I want to talk to you guys about today is her newest standalone novel, The Night Mark. This novel is something new for Reisz, a more traditional historical romance with a little sci-fi twist. We're introduced to Faye, our protagonist, at a not-so-great time in her life. Still reeling from the death of her beloved husband four years prior, her second marriage has crashed and burned, and she's looking for a new start. After accepting a photography gig on the South Carolina coast, she makes a discovery that quite literally changes her life. 

Spoilers ahead...

She goes out to an abandoned lighthouse, and following a near-death experience she is transported back to 1921. That's right. This bitch can time travel, y'all. The first person she encounters is the lighthouse keeper who for some reason looks just like her late husband. I'm pretty sure you can guess how this is going to play out but I'm going to tell you anyway. They fall deeply, desperately in love and despite a few obstacles (Bootleggers! Abusive husbands! Alligators!) Faye decides to stay in the past. As a fan of the author, I wanted so badly to love this books as I have loved her other titles. But man, this one took some work. The writing was as beautiful as ever, of course. When Faye talks about her grief, I felt it as acutely as if I were in her shoes. There are some interesting characters we are introduced to, such as retired Priest Patrick Cahill and Ty, the young marine biology student hoping to make a difference in the world. Even Hagen, the evil ex-husband, has some very humanizing, relatable qualities once you pull the layers back a bit. It's the time travel stuff that gives me pause. I love sci-fi and fantasy novels, but this particular storyline came across as cheesy, and that's an adjective I never would have dreamed of applying to a Tiffany Reisz title. Also, who would really choose 1921 over the present day? I get it, things around here ain't perfect, but god damn. you're willing to give up air conditioning, the internet, vaccines, Trader Joe's, and mp3 players? There's plent of fine men on this side of the timeline, boo. I'm giving this title 3 stars, because even though the plot is flimsy and unbelievable, Tiffany Reisz can certainly turn a phrase. If you're interested in edgier erotica, I certainly recommend her. What would you give up for love? What are your favorite romances? I'd love to hear your thoughts.