Customer Reviews

Beauty's Release CD

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

Beauty's Release is the last of the wonderful series. The trilogy covers all elements of submission in erotic love, from the most brutal punishments to the most subtle domination......I would advise everyone to get the entire series and read the books in order. Wonderful pornographic writing. A real treat for fans of erotica. Beauty's Release is perhaps my least favorite of the trilogy, but saying my least favorite of this trilogy is a bit like saying my least favorite chocolate bar.....still really great. The sultan's palace takes the eroticisim to new heights, and the conclusion to the story is a truly lovely one

This is the third and last instalment of the Beauty series, and, by far, the best. If you have gotten this far in the series, graphic S & M discriptions have probably gotten a bit less shocking and now it's time for a really good story. This is the book for that. Oh, you won't have to miss your quota of intensly-worded erotica, but the story is compelling enough not to have to skip pages of yet-more-sex to find it. And this book wraps up the series very nicely. It's a keeper, as are the other two books. But, be warned in advance, if hardcore erotica isn't what you're into, move on to her more recent offerings because this series isn't for the faint of heart or easily offended.

Anne Rice, under the name A.N. Roquelaure, completes the third and final book of her erotic Sleeping Beauty series in this elegantly written book entitled Beauty's Release. This book drips with sexuality and only the boldest readers of an adult nature should dare even to glance at its cover ! The story itself deals with topics of love, lust, and the balances and conflicts of dominance/submission. Like never before, this book destroys all social norms dealing with sexuality and at times will cause even the boldest of readers to experience rapid heart palpitations of steamy desire. Beauty's Release, as the rest of the erotic Sleeping Beauty adventure series, is truly a masterpiece in its own right

The risk a "serious" author takes when s/he writes erotic fiction is very real. Part of her audience may vilify her, she may risk loss of her publisher's good will, and the scorn of her colleagues. The consequences are potentially very severe. But some authors, like Miller or Joyce, have contended that if an author fails to explore erotic themes, s/he risks missing the whole truth about humanity. So Anne Rice appears to have ventured in search of the truths to be found in eroticism, and risks the consequences. God bless her. I found the idea that a major author like Anne Rice would write a graphic erotic novel trilogy irresistible, so I bought all three and read them stright through. I was pleasantly surprised, although less titillated than I thought I might be. Yes, there's plenty of hot sex, and plenty of kinky sex, and a plethora of male homosexual activity (I suspect Anne's making a point, there... that women get turned on by men having sex about as much as men get turned on by the lesbian stuff), so it's not a book likely to be found in Jerry Fallwell's library. I think. But I was far more intrigued by the way Rice approached her erotic theme, and the slow development of it, than in the erotica itself. This is a damn good series of books, erotic or not. The interesting thing about this series is that Anne has taken the job of writing erotic fiction with the same sort of zeal that she writes about vampires, or art, or music: that is, she's not even attempted to write something in the erotic mainstream, she's plunged in on the fringes of what's socially acceptable, sexually speaking, and in doing so has fashioned a work which transcends the merely pornographic. She has not shied away from graphic description of sexual acts, but she hasn't wallowed in them, either, for which I am grateful. She has used her descriptions of sexuality, and her characters' emotional responses to these acts, to say something about trust, love, and strength of character. There are few villains in this trilogy, but many heroes and heroines. I disagree with readers who feel the lack of character development in the Beauty books. No, Anne hasn't gone on for pages and pages describing her hero and heroine, as she has done in her vampire works, but that's not all bad. This is a different kind of writing, a different kind of book. She has sketched her characters, but sketched them truly and well. No, they aren't rich and full, as her vampires have been at times, but they are not flat and toneless, either. The reader is forced to look for them by the style of the book. Laurent fairly springs from the pages, if you look for the contextual clues to what makes him tick. (Guys, ask your girlfriend if you don't believe me on this one.) Male readers who find homosexuality threatening will perhaps not find him easily, because it's in the gay scenes that we see him revealed most clearly, right up until the end, when he is revealed most clearly. Beauty's character is perhaps easier to find, especially in Beauty's Release, but in any case all three books need to be taken together to get a real sense of who Anne intended her to be. These books are well worth reading, not just for the eroticism, but for the satisfaction of reading a good story, well told.

this is a good ending to a wonderful series of erotica. its not great for the fact that one would wish Rice/Roquelaure would have gone into many a detail to what was just dismissed in this book(the mutaltion of the women of the foreign land, more of beauty's feelings, and a maybe a bit on how lexuis went through). however, it was a great read. i truly like the last four chapters. like the first 2 books, this is full of S&M, but it is still a good story. im glad a bit was taken away from the ways of the european/white society, and have a taste of something foreign & exotic. i really like the fact of everyone bisexual! a good book and series (overall).

Having just finished Beauty's Release, the final volume of Anne Rice's exquisite erotic trilogy, a feeling of loss has descended upon me. I won't read more of Beauty's introduction to the dark and taboo world of domination and submission. And, more importantly, I won't be able to get lost in Rice's insightful and thought provoking implications of the human heart and desire. Alas, I shall settle with rereading the trilogy some time in the future.

In Beauty's Release, Beauty, along with Princes Tristan and Laurent, is faced with the unnerving fact that she has to adjust to life as captive of an Eastern Sultan. Having admitted that she's never felt love for her superiors, she hasn't envisaged the fact that the new and strange palace might just show her the meaning of selfless love and devotion...

The ending reminds the reader that this is a fairytale -- a rather interesting fairytale, but one nevertheless. The twists and turns in the novel make it far from predictable. Rice's fanciful and unique writing shines as the story reaches its climax.

As mentioned earlier, I will miss Beauty's journey into the incomprehensible and uninhibited world of forbidden carnal desire. Anne Rice awakens your psyche and passion with this wonderful piece of work. I recommend this to readers with an open mind.

Every time this book started to get me going it lost me by sticking some unrealistically massive object up another characters hiney hole. This resulted in any erotic thoughts I might have had turning into, "Wow, I bet that hurt" or "This guy must have a hole the size of a cave to enjoy that". Bigger may be better, but sooner or later the law of diminishing returns kicks in.