talyseon's Full Review: Ayano Yamane - The Crimson Spell 1
The Crimson Spell by Ayano Yamane.
The Crimson Spell is a Yaoi novel. Yaoi is a Japanese art form, graphic novels about gay romances written almost exclusively by women and for women. These books can range from sweet romances to torrid sexual adventures. This book and this review deal frankly with sex between men. So if this is not your cup of tea, well you have been warned.
A further warning: this is not a sweet romance. It’s art depicts some pretty graphic steamy sex. You have been warned twice.
Now, if I still have your attention, The Crimson Spell is a fantasy novel, no Japanese school boys. All the characters seem to be of the age of consent, so, there is a plus right there.
Set in the magical kingdom of Alsveith, the story follows Prince Baldrigr (Bald to his intimates) Bald has a Demon sword, with which he defends his father’s kingdom, but the sword has a curse, turning him when he sleeps, or in times of great stress, into a feral monster of great strength and ferocity. (He grows fangs and pointed ears, and his skin darkens and is covered in tiger stripes in a tribal pattern, as far as hideous transformations go, its not too bad. Of course, the animalistic urges given free range is where the terror comes in.
Bald sets out to find a wizard to break his curse. Halvir is one of the best wizards in the Kingdom since the Grand Academy vanished ten years ago. Halvir is tall and beautiful, with long silver hair. He agrees to help Bald break the curse, there is only the matter of payment. Halvir wants the sword, but it is an heirloom so the matter of payment is sort of left up in the air, he will break the curse if Bald will be his bodyguard on a dangerous quest.
Bald sleeps in magical shackles that help contain the beast. Havi (as Bald has taken to calling him) releases them so he can get a look at the ferocious beast. And the beast is ferocious. It is not fueled by the sword, or by Bald, but by a limitless outside source. Havi needs to calm the beast, so he does something it will like and understand, he has sex with it (For the record, Havi is the Seme, or aggressive partner, Bald is the Uke, or receptive partner.)
Havi draws magical energy from the act, satiating the Beast, and replenishing his own magical flow. Both of them seem to enjoy the process very much. In the morning, Bald remembers nothing, and they set out on their quest
The first evening out, Havi can’t resist, and frees Bald again. There is an element of craving in this, like replenishing his magical flow is almost like a drug. Havi does have some concerns about what Bald would think if he actually knew what they did in the nights.
Their quest leads them to a Dragon’s lair, but Bald’s quick actions and magical sword slay the beast before Havi can get what he needs. Slaying the dragon frees Leithregveel, the apprentice to a powerful wizard transformed into a flying rabbit. He tries to explain some things but Bald and Havi are to irritated over the matter of the dead dragon to listen. Havi goes off alone, and sets off a trap, a poisoned dart tipped with a concoction designed to kill wizards. Fortunately, Leith talks Bald through brewing the antidote.
It takes Havi three days to wake up. By this time, Bald is about half transformed. Pent up sexual energy is fueling the transformation. This time, Havi has no doubt that this is what Bald wants, since Bald practically rapes him. This helps Havi recover as well.
So now they are headed for Celeasdeile, the city where the Grand Academy once stood. Havi was banished from there 10 years ago. Why? And he knows there will be problems for taking a Demon into that wizard controlled place. But this offers the best hope of helping Bald.
But Havi has to wonder, does he want to cure him? The beast is a constant source of magical energy, and Havi enjoys him very much. The Beast obviously enjoys Havi as well. So what to do, what to do?
Will they be allowed to enter Celeasdeile? Will they be allowed to leave? Why was Havi banished? Can he find someone who understands the curse? If he does, can he break it? And where will that leave he and Bald?
The Crimson Spell is a much better than average Yaoi tale. The art is superlative, no Chibi, no huge eyes, no languid starved looking androgynous supermodel looking little boys. And the Sex is hot. Much yaoi “masks” or blurs the sexual organs, or simply doesn’t draw them, suggesting their presence in the shape of a hand holding them, etc. Not here; they are not as detailed, a little more simplistic, but everything is full illustrated and anatomically correct.
The story is good as well, a nice mix of action, and emotion, and light on the angst that burdens down so much Yaoi. Japanese girls love angst. This Yaoi is really written more for western gay males, than for Japanese women. So enjoy!
Oh, and for fans; you’ve seen those t-shirts that say “My Uke can beat your Seme’s @$$”? Havi needs one that says “My Uke can EAT your Seme.”
The curse of the magical crimson sword has turned Prince Bald into a monster... To break the spell, he sets out on a journey with the sexy and gorgeou...More at HotBookSale
The curse of the magical crimson sword has turned Prince Bald into a monster... To break the spell, he sets out on a journey with the sexy and gorgeou...More at HotBookSale
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