Reviewed by Kelly Kinkaid

To describe the relationships in Lauren P. Burka’s Wishbone as intense is certainly an understatement. Wishbone, our charming titular character, is uprooted from his life of prostitution by a shih-aan. The shih-aan, an alien race who bloodily warred with and defeated humans a decade prior, are looked upon as “demons” by Wishbone’s fellow men, yet he finds himself enthralled and exhilarated by his newest client—and soon-to-be master.

The relationship between Wishbone and “Sir” delights in the intimacies wrought by the struggles of dominance and submission, with a decidedly delicious shade of sadomasochism. The power play here is more than just a cheeky nudge and wink; the heavy erotic edge to all the interactions between the two men reveals shifts in trust and intimacy, each scene unfolding a new facet to and between the characters. The pace is believable as the chemistry is scorching.

Even outside the bedroom, the characters are endearing. Wishbone shows his teeth when being ordered around on more than one occasion, but when he does submit, it’s with a charming eagerness; and even then, Burka does not neglect to showcase his spunk. Sir, elegant and refined with a side of snark, is a joy to follow as he trains Wishbone in the ways of proper shih-aan decorum. Even Terefar, who could have been a throwaway character in the hands of a clumsier author, has a charisma of his own in being another of Sir’s servants. It’s particularly refreshing that his own service is differentiated from Wishbone’s, and that neither character condescends to the other about the virtues of different kinds of submission.

There is more to the plot than sex, of course. When Sir reveals himself to be a spy for his people, a palpable tension manifests in the suspicions between humans and shih-aan. This paranoia is explored masterfully, as Sir’s job grows more dangerous for himself and Wishbone when those who disapprove of their relations make themselves known. The shih-aans’ question of human sentience is particularly chilling. Burka crafts this world with other fascinating details: the systemized violence associated with shih-aan bets; the history of Terefar’s kind, the wathara; the differences in customs among races; and so on. All this is revealed to the reader not in boring exposition, but throughout the text in careful doses that do not overwhelm the reader with information so much as they intrigue. Those adoring of fantasy or science-fiction climates will not be disappointed in Burka’s world-building.

While the shih-aan’s decision as to the fate of humanity is not completely resolved, Wishbone ends on a satisfying note; that this thread is left hanging feels more natural than it does frustrating.* The political issues and conflicts are well-explored, and Wishbone and Sir’s shows of devotion for the other progress convincingly. Readers should know that the pain play is indeed heavy, and that Wishbone and Sir are not committed to each other alone. Yet the dominant and submissive elements of the relationship forge a unique bond between the two, and it is pleasing that each relationship in the book indeed possesses its own flair differentiated from the others. Readers can expect to be charmed by Wishbone’s curious culture and earnest cast of characters as they will be electrified by its erotic edge.

Interested readers can take in a sample of the book or purchase it at the website of the publisher: Torquere Press.

*Editor’s Note: Ms. Burka is currently at work on a sequel.

In THE MEMORIAL GARDEN, Ms. Burka twists the old fable and makes it her own. She vividly evokes the semi-tribal world of Mazinara, where a man’s braids are his pride; the regimented society aboard the spaceship; the elegance, wealth and beauty of the Firdoos court; the incendiary glory of the Empress; and the twisted attraction Sofian feels for Numair.

This is a tale of adventure and self-discovery as much as lust. There are relatively few sex scenes. However, they will leave you breathless and aching. They have an emotional complexity that is fairly rare, especially in erotic romance, which I suppose is the appropriate genre. I’ve never encountered a more brutal or more moving BDSM scene in erotic romance than the final session when Sofian begs for Numair’s pardon.

The possibilities are endless when you combine science fiction and sexual ambiguity, the ability to choose your own gender or not have to pick just one. The five stories in this anthology each take a very different approach, but each invariably plays with the restrictive limits that society places on gender. Here nothing is as simple as female or male, or being stuck with the gender you’re born with when you know with every cell in your body that it’s the wrong gender. These stories provide a more fluid approach to gender identity and sexual awareness that is sometimes serious and touching and at other times playful and over the top.

This was a very strange, but interesting story. Honestly, I probably would have skipped it had I known it was set in a historical-like setting. In spite of that, I found myself enjoying the main character, Wishbone, and learning more about the Shih-aan species introduced here. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical and paranormal themes.

Wishbone is at the same time classic and innovative. It’s classic where it retells the story of Pygmalion, or My Fair Lady, or Pretty Woman (see how many time it was told?): a wealthy and cultured man picks a filthy whore from the streets and teaches him how to behave. It’s innovative since, what the wealthy man teaches to the whore it’s a totally different thing from the usual lessons on good manners or polished language, but is instead the power you have in surrendering.

The collection starts off with “When Angles Fall”, by Helen E. H. Madden, a sexy and endearing science fiction story about how one man’s upbringing in a religious “cult” effects how he deals with his dying mother and the future that she leaves him.

One of my favorite stories was Tom Cardamone’s, “Royal Catamite”. It is a wonderful erotic story that pushes the taboo buttons of underage sex and incest, in a way that only Tom can do.

We now live in an era of ebooks and genetic engineering, instant messaging and cybersex, gender reassignment and gay marriage. The world has matured and many of the fantastic imaginings of Circlet’s authors have become familiar facts. In the second decade of the twenty first century, Circlet is still delivering some of the best speculative erotica available—appropriately in electronic form. Wired Hard 4 is a splendid example.

The eight stories in this collection are remarkably diverse. They are unified, first, by their raw sexual energy, and second, by the intimate mingling of human with other: machine, robot, animal, vampire, or god. Xan West’s lyrical introduction points out that most of these tales deal with transformations. Sex here is more than an avenue of pleasure. It is the gateway to new and different selves.

Update: I’m almost positive that the appearance of Rainbow Reviews on this post has nothing to do with it, and the link above is the source of the article.

My personal favorites from this collection are “Transplant” and “Passage,” each of which explores a world where there is a unique option available to transgendered individuals. Each story delves into the emotional needs of the person to have a body that matches the soul, and the ramifications of making that change on other relationships. In “Transplant,” Katrina has been disowned by her mother while Chad’s mother is the exact opposite. In “Passage,” Maya is concerned about her lover still being attracted to her new body. The physical changes are one thing, but these stories choose to delve into the other changes that are inevitable and as such are extremely engaging and moving.

Edit: Ok, now all the url’s are fixed.