Chains Of Revenge by Keziah Hill

Erotic romance readers who are weary of porny positions and situations may find this book a refreshing change. I just wish there had been more space for the world and the romance to develop.

This review is part of the AWW2012 Reading and Reviewing Challenge. Click here for a list of books I’ve read so far.

Lissa, Princess of Horvald, fall in love with her slave, Devadas, who apparently perishes in battle. Ten years later, she learns that not only did he survive, he has come back to conquer Horvald and take revenge on the princess who abandoned him to the whims of war.

This story really needed to be longer or to have started at a different place. There just isn’t enough space in a novella to show how Lissa and Devadas move from master/slave to lovers, then to conqueror/slave to equal partners, while also dealing with secondary characters and antagonists. I think I would have preferred to start at the point where Devadas returns to take his revenge and have the backstory fed to me in bits and pieces.

Author Keziah Hill builds an intriguing world—although warring kingdoms are fairly common both in historical and fantasy romance, Lissa and Devadas also come from very different cultures whose views on sexuality are almost at extreme ends of the spectrum. As well as providing much fodder for sexier scenes—and this book is pretty hot without going over the top—Hill touches on the way in which women have power in both types of communities.

But at the end of it all, I didn’t really connect with the characters in this story. I think the first part—where Lissa and Devadas supposedly fall in love—was too rushed for me, and the second part—where Devadas returns—doesn’t hit enough emotional buttons for me to be heavily invested in their happy ending.

Yay or nay?

Erotic romance readers who are weary of porny positions and situations may find this book a refreshing change. Hill writes some hot scenes without trying to do to much. The focus is always on Lissa and Devadas rather than which body parts are participating in the action. I just wish there had been more space for their world and their relationship to develop.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who are up for a quickie

Who might not enjoy it: Readers who expect intricate world building

A free copy of this book was generously provided by Escape Publishing at their launch event.

Title: Chains Of Revenge (excerpt – PDF)
Author: Keziah Hill
Publisher: Escape Publishing/Harlequin Australia

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