BOOK TITLE: Siren Slave
AUTHOR: Aurora
YEAR: 2014
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Erotic Fantasy
GRADE: Pass
Princess Freya masquerades as a loyalist of Roman culture
while simultaneously feeding their military secrets to a band of pirate rebels
led by Siegfried the Fox, whom she has a massive crush on. She also discovers
herself to be a fey creature with magical powers that will help her in her
quest. But without full knowledge of how to use those powers, she succumbs to
kidnapping at the hands of druid assassins and needs to be rescued by
Siegfried. Soon after, the two of them form a master/slave relationship that
angers every close-minded conformist who can’t understand BDSM culture. Even
Siegfried has doubts from time to time, but he’s determined to do everything in
his power to make this relationship work. Freya is determined as well; it was
her idea, after all.
Because this book falls under the erotica section, there’s
an obligation to deliver when it comes to sexy scenes. While I won’t say
exactly what these scenes entail, I will tell you that your wildest fantasies
will come true whether you’re living vicariously through Siegfried or Freya. And
the best part of their relationship? Despite being a master/slave dynamic, it’s
actually healthier than most “normal” relationships out there. They both want
this. They both hunger for this. They’re perfect for each other, which is more
than I’ll ever say about the Christian Greys and Anastasia Steeles of the
erotica genre. The sex can seem a little rough at times, but it’s rough in a
good way and not in an uncomfortably cringey way. Aurora Styles knows her
stuff!
You know what else she knows all about? Creating a likeable
protagonist in the form of Freya. Her knack for puns, alliteration, and snappy
one-liners make her dialogue a joy to read. She’s not quirky for the sake of
being quirky; her humor is authentic. Any man would be lucky to have her
company, let alone Siegfried the Fox. But if you think sober Freya is a lot of
fun to be around, try getting her drunk on blueberry ale or white wine. Or
better yet, give her one of Hedwig’s not-so-carefully concocted potions. Yes,
Freya is clumsy and silly, but those flaws don’t detract from her being a
likeable character. As a writer myself, I envy Aurora Styles’s ability to pull
that off.
Last thing I want to touch on is the creatively-woven
fantasy elements this story has. Freya discovers her ability to turn into a
dragon/swan/mermaid and that alone is impressive. She’s also nifty with a
trident and she can manipulate blood. These abilities don’t make her a
Mary-Sue, though, because she’s just as vulnerable as any other character in
the story. Plus, she struggles to master these powers completely, especially
when each villain is more difficult to fight than the last. But not to worry,
because Hedwig the Sea Witch has her potions and seductive magic, Siegfried has
his stag transformation and magical panpipes, Hecate and Balor have their own
demonic powers, and Woden…well, he’s just a muscle-bound stud with a massive spear
and no need to wear anything but a loincloth in freezing weather. All of these
characters round each other out with their powers and their unique
personalities.
While there are some typos scattered here and there and the
mythology is hard to keep track of at times, Siren Slave was an enjoyable read
from start to finish. It’s a thick book with long chapters, but they go by so
fast because of how easy it is to get lost in the action, violent, dramatic,
and sexual. Aurora Styles will get a passing grade for her efforts. This book
definitely took a lot of hard work and she should be rewarded for that.
Congratulations on the four out of five stars! Don’t let the haters get you
down!
