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5.11.2010

Skin Magic: Naughty Nooners



As a new emperor ascends the throne, the city of the Rhodoi is about to run with blood. Larissa has to escape. Her only way out is to accept a bargain made with Xander, a beautiful stranger who practices mysterious spirit magic. She knows the deal could cost her a piece of her soul, but the magician’s spirits want something else. Something she never expected. They want her body, her untouched flesh…for Xander’s own pleasure.

Well this one was just.. odd. I know it's a short, but they get into the dirty parts of sex much quicker than I expected. Or would have cared for.

My take is this- As it starts, Xander is a priest (slash) sorcerer (slash) prostitute who gets paid for sex as well as his mediating with the spirits. Larissa seeks him out for his power to change who she is. His price for fulfilling her desire is his own pleasure, that is, well as he put it 'Not many virgins come knocking at my door'.

So I spend the first half of this book in a conundrum. What the hell was Xander's motive. Surely sex can't be the 'all' in his motives.

As it finished, the contract was sealed. Larissa got herself a new body. But... it was Xander who paid the price to the spirits. Uh... something about he had been waiting a year for her and the spirits made him choose- her or them.

Don't know. Something got lost in translation.

Or I'm just plain old tired.

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