Beauty's Release [Hardcover]

Anne Rice (Author), A. N. Roquelaure (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Plume | Publication Date: June 3, 1985

In the final volume of Anne Rice's deliciously tantalizing erotic trilogy, Beauty's adventures on the dark side of sexuality make her the bound captive of an Eastern Sultan and a prisoner in the exotic confines of the harem. In Beauty's Release, Anne Rice makes the forbidden side of passion a doorway into the hidden regions of the psyche and the heart.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anne Rice lives in New Orleans with her husband, poet Stan Rice. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 2 edition (June 3, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452266637
• ISBN-13: 978-0452266636
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #599,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Control and Compliance in a more Exotic Locale, June 17, 2000

By 

J. Hardy IV (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beauty's Release: The Conclusion of the Classic Erotic Trilogy of Sleeping Beauty (Paperback)

The third and concluding chapter in Anne Rice's erotic retelling of the sleeping beauty fairy tale, sees Beauty, Tristan, Laurent, and some secondary slaves from the village kidnapped and whisked away to more sensual adventures in an unnamed Arabian kingdome. Armed with first person dialogue and reflection through Laurent [the rebellious, willful fugitive slave from book 2], and a more exotic locale/plot, this chapter in the story was considerably more interesting than the second, which I gave 3 stars. Part of the allure of this version for me was a release from the utter crudity of the European castle and village. Beauty's escapades with the Sultan's harem and his main wife were presented with a lot more sublime sensuality than the whipping and paddling of the previous books. Laurent's transformation from slave to master mentality and his ability to exist moving seamlessly between the two are also compelling aspects. The slaves eventually relish their time with the Sultan above all else, having even their higher reason sublimated. They are told not to talk, nor to express anything other than the most rudimentary understanding as they are used as sex toys, or living sculptures to line the Sultan's gardens, bed, bath, etc. It is this complete abasement and personality disintegration that Tristan, the most philosophical of the group, touches on when asked why he loves it so. Religious and philosophical thoughts of the region combine to show them that they are simply cogs in a grander scheme, and they take pleasure and freedom in this anonymity. Further plot break-down would lead to spoilers, so suffice it to say there is eventually closure for each of the characters. Upon completing the series I feel better about it than after the second book, it helped to think of it anthropologically as if these strange undercurrents were the results of a completely different culture. In that respect it was quite interesting to observe the push for control, compliance, dominance, and love, and question whether that can be squared with ideas of entwined aggression and tenderness. Anne Rice provides the framework and fairy tale, but readers must ultimately decide that answer for themselves.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of all three books!!! Great writing, entertaining story!, July 13, 2008

By 

Tringle "Steamy and Spice make every read nice!" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beauty's Release: The Conclusion of the Classic Erotic Trilogy of Sleeping Beauty (Paperback)

When I first began the Beauty books, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The first book included entirely too much spanking and not much of anything else. The second book was much better and really entertained with some classic character development and a very moving relationship. The third book in the Beauty series was the best yet! Although Rice does a great job of summarizing the adventures from the previous books, it really would be most beneficial to read through all books in the series in order to appreciate the massive character development throughout the series. (Yes, even the first one which could be considered a bit of a bore to some.)

Rice included a variety of spice and some very interesting BDSM aspects in this third installment. The characters remained consistent with the original story line, but showed massive and realistic development through their struggles.

As always, Rice masters writing the environment and characters while keeping the reader guessing as to what might happen next. And although these books don't exactly follow the traditional fairytale mold, Rice did manage to include a 'happily-ever-after' ending...but with a twist!

*WARNING: These books include extreme examples of bondage-submission scenarios as well as explicit material. If you are easily offended, DON'T READ THESE BOOKS! If you like a little spice and something on the devilish side, these books might just fit the bill!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sexy and Sinful, January 27, 2008

By 

S. Truesdell (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beauty's Release: The Conclusion of the Classic Erotic Trilogy of Sleeping Beauty (Paperback)

This is such an erotic read. The writing is so visual that you real can see yourself in the situations. The plot is a little lacking but what do you expect. However, for an erotic book definitely worth the read.