It is the characters who make the story, men and women who live beyond the page and follow you into your dreams. They feel alive, full of passion and emotion, with personalities that sometimes feel more real than the strangers who cross our paths in real life. While many reviewers have focused on Aiden, singing the praises of a wonderful man and passionately creative lover, Richard is a wonderful character as well, and they are only pieces of a puzzle that (for me) gets more intimate and more interesting as Sahara brings in Holly and Iona.
The erotic scenes here are . . . well, almost hard to describe. They are explicit, and often use what many might consider to be tawdry language, but Carless uses contrasts to make it beautiful. We read words like 'whore' and 'milady' in the same sentence, and become entranced by scenes that talk of pagan energies and fire spirits, that place us amid circles and pentagrams, and then snap us into vulgarity again with the tug of a silver chains and erotic clamps. There is a ritualistic aspect to so much of the sexuality and I found that intensely arousing.
The narrative itself can be confusing, the type of novel that demands you sit and immerse yourself in the story, not just breeze through a few pages here and there, but it is also immensely satisfying. The past feels just as real as the present, and the contrast between what we might consider 'primitive' and contemporary kink is one of the most spectacular parts of the novel. We often forget that our generation did not invent kinks or fetishes, and that desire is just as much a mother of invention as necessity! Names and faces do sort of bleed across time, and even the character sometimes get lost in past lives or roles, but that is part of the magic.
With a little luck, and perhaps a little magic, I will wrap up The Raven and the Aspen King (Holly, Sahara and Iona, all in love with a man who’s crossed centuries to find them) and The Wilderness Years (While falling deeper in love, Sahara, Aiden and Holly continue to unravel the pieces of their ancient story) this month, and I cannot imagine a better time to indulge than the spooky season that owes so much of its own magic to witchcraft.
Wild Woman, Witch, Intuitive Coach; Monika lives for the moments where words meet spirit. She is the powerhouse and creative behind the 'Healing Mother Wound through Divine Feminine Wisdom' Workshop, available online.
Daughter of change, she is a seeker who lives on the magical shores of Vancouver Island, Canada, guiding kindred spirits on their sacred journey through life.
She is an expert in relationships (including open, poly, queer), defining life purpose, sacred sexuality and sustainable living.
https://monikacarless.com
@MonikaCarless
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