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Dominic: Lords of Satyr

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Dominic by Elizabeth Amber
Paranormal Erotic Romance- February 24, 2009
4 ½ stars

Elizabeth Amber continues her daring Lord of the Satyr series in the latest installment of Dominic, a 2 story anthology that smolders with scenes that will shock and delight your senses!

In the first story, Dominic is a Satyr hardened by duty. He is a special hunter and killer of demons, called upon to perform tasks no other Satyr can. Dominic is spurned by his fellow Satyrs even as his skills protect their way of life. But his next mission is the most important of all, to mate with a human female named Emma and create a child of destiny. While Dominic is sent to seduce her, he cannot help but be seduced by her. The trouble is Emma is already married to another Satyr!

Elizabeth Amber's inspired introduction of new storylines and characters was particularly fascinating. She adds plot twists that add tension as well as revealing tantalizing glimpses of the mysterious Facilitator and Acolytes of ElseWorld where the Satyrs originate. For those who loved her previous books, familiar characters also return! (Yes!) Dominic's story was a thoroughly enjoyable and immersing story. However, I felt it could be difficult to follow if you haven't read at least one of the earlier Satyr books in the series.

This next story is set many years later. It features Nicholas's sons. All of which are pure masculinity! Vincent is Nicholas's oldest son and obsessed with a Shimmerskin. Shimmerskins are magical females conjured for the enjoyment of the insatiable sexual appetites of the Satyr men, that then disappear the next day. One night Vincent impulsively asks `his' Shimmerskin to stay, knowing it is impossible. To his surprise, he finds her in his bed the next morning! Can she be real?

Cara suddenly finds herself in bed with an attractive man. She is terrified. She knows nothing of her past and struggles to make sense of her situation. Why has she so conveniently come to life and why does she `disappear' for short periods?

This story reads like a mystery, it has a lot of suspense as you wonder about Cara. The end was very surprising. The only thing I felt missing were details about the Shimmerskins I found them intriguing and would have loved to have Cara and her history more fully developed. This author excels at leaving glimpses of captivating characters that leave you wanting more!

Dominic was an exciting read. For those who love the paranormal and steamy scenes this will be a delicious treat. Elizabeth Amber really heats up the pages and shapes her Satyr World in this next defining installment. A word of caution, this author really pushes the boundaries not only in her amazing creative imagination but also in her sex scenes! (There are short M/M scenes as well M/F/M scenes.)

I am particularly interested in finding out more about ElseWorld and can't wait for the next installment which I hope includes Vincent's brothers!!

Reviewed by Steph from Bookaholics Romance Book Club

DOMINIC

It has been 15 years since Emma came to the Satyr estate to live with Jane and Nicholas. At 27, she is now married to Carlo and pregnant with their first child. What should be a joyous occasion is marred by dread and uncertainty. In her attempt to make herself less of a burden to her family, Emma had accepted the first marriage proposal presented to her. The decision would turn out to be a poor one, and one that she soon came to regret.

Dominic, a Satyr of royal lineage only knows a life of demons, death, and destruction. As a warrior of ElseWorld, Dominic is the sole destroyer of the demons that plague the lands. Now the birth of a new Chosen One draws near and Dominic must join with its mother to facilitate the transfer of his unique ability. Neither the mother nor the father has knowledge of the child's Chosen destiny...though it matters not. Dominic would not fail in his mission. On the next Moonful, he would mate with the woman and bring forth his successor. The woman's name is Emma.

Emma can barely hide her confusion when Carlo returns from ElseWorld with an unexpected guest. It is a Calling night and the last thing she desires is an in-house witness to the hours of carnality that lie ahead. The dark stranger who accompanies her husband stirs something within her; a longing that is both dangerous and disconcerting. Emma's reaction to Dominic is the first of many frightening events as the moon rises and Carlo makes a shocking declaration. It is a wife's duty to obey her husband and Emma submits to Carlo's unspeakable demand - A demand that shames her to her core...and one that would bind her and their child to Dominic forever.

VINCENT

A war has raged in ElseWorld for 27 years. It started the year Vincent was born - The firstborn son to Lord Nicholas and Jane Satyr. As an accomplished attorney, Vincent would soon be off to ElseWorld to broker a peace treaty amongst the warring factions. The future of his family relies heavily on these delicate negotiations and any distractions could prove costly.

On the eve of his journey to ElseWorld, Vincent conjures up his favorite Shimmerskin for a night of pleasure. Fully aware of her insentient existence, Vincent can't help but wish that the vacant eyes that stare back at him were those of a real woman. One that desires him heart and soul, and not one who simply exists solely at his WILL. He had taken special care in creating her and at night's end she would fade back into the ether though he wishes she would stay....and on that night, she does.

When Vincent awakes the next morning to find a woman in his bed, a slight panic sets in. How did his Shimmerskin remain without fading back into the mist from which she came? The woman appears to be just as baffled as he is and the possible implications are alarming. Could Vincent have willed her into existence or are other outside forces at work? Without answers, the woman is a potential threat though Vincent is reluctant to consider her as such. Nevertheless, the timing is suspicious as Vincent has an enemy who seeks to harm him - One who would use the one he loves to inflict the deepest of wounds.

Elizabeth Amber has yet again brought the Satyr world to life with her sensual prose and wonderful imagination. In DOMINIC, suspense and sexual tension are dialed up to a feverish pitch as propriety forces Emma to deny her deepest desires and Dominic glimpses life beyond the interworld gate. In a slight departure from the previous stories, VINCENT is an unconventional love story that is surprisingly humorous in spite of an awful betrayal. Amber writes such unique tales with some of the most despicable villains this reader has ever encountered, thus making the "Happily Ever After" that much more satisfying. This fourth installment of the Lords of Satyr series is no exception and readers who enjoyed the first 3 books will not be disappointed.

~*Courtesy of ParaNormal Romance Reviews*~

I have not read the others in this series. I bought this one because it kept showing up on my recommendations. From an outside perspective of someone who does not follow this series I can say two things. One, the author is a good writer, who certainly has the chops to develop and tell a great story. Second, the erotica is not for the faint of heart. I usualy read paranormal romances like JR Ward, Kresley Cole, and Laura Adrian. So seeing how my usual is pretty spicy I had no idea that there were books out there that took JR Ward and made her look tame in comparison...this is such a book.

The story line as far as I can see from reading only this one is about a species of men that live in another realm and can travel through planes to ours (the earth realm). These men have a sexual appetite that is unmatched and during the full moon they grow a second appendage, shall we call it, that they use along with the usual. They do best to breed with their own kind or a female that has fairy blood.

The Hero in the first story is named Dominic and he has a mirrored palm that eats demons - literally. He has lived a brutal 25 years working as a demon hunter in his realm when he is asked to help assist the birth of a human women whose baby should be the next in his line to carry the mirrored palm and do his job. When he arrives on the earth realm he has already befriended the husband of the women mentioned above.

The husband who is named Carlos is also a 3rd of what the warrior Dominic is and can travel between the plains as well. Now here is where things get odd. Carlos is not in love with his wife, whose name is Emma. Carlos is in fact in love with another man who lives in Dominic's realm. It's not really known why Carlos saw fit to marry Emma considering the fact that he prefers males but he has. He gets Emma pregnant by force because his lover asked him to and that when the baby is born he is suppose to bring the child to his lover. Problem is Carlos gets wounded in battle and is unable to perform sexually. So Dominic proposes that he help Emma give birth.

If you have not read the other books you may ask yourself why would he need to help her and what does it matter. Yet, it seems that their breed only carries for a month and then on the following full moon they give birth after a night of sex. Hmmm alrighty???

Carlos agrees to this. When Dominic and Carlos arrive the night of the full moon of which Emma should give birth she is of course confused until her husband's plans become clear. I won't get into the rest because I don't think I can write it all down here and have the review published. But to put it mildly, Carlos throws Emma around and man handles her in front of Dominic of which he does nothing. He even actually helps. They pretty much begin to rape her, her husband runs off, and she is left to Dominic. Dominic becomes moon struck and grows his other appendage, she tries to fight him off, can't, and then she gives in. Chapters later Carlos dies a tragic death and Dominic decides he wants Emma and her child (his successor) for himself.

Okay, now that's not all there is to this story and that's why I said the author is a good writer, because the subplot is actually quite good. It's just the sexual side of this was frankly -- perverse.

Then there is the second story and if you were not thrown back by the sexually graphic text in the first you should be by the second. It starts out simple and easy enough. Fast forward years from when Dominic and Emma fall in love and one of the children from Emma's fairy sisters is all grown up and well endowed. He is able to conjure up soulless women in order to quench his needs during the full moon and such. One of these fake women he conjures up repeatedly until she becomes real. This story has some comic relief and the characters are pretty likable. Then again the woman that becomes real, "Cara", is brutalized on several occasions. I'm not talking tossed around and talked to badly, I mean degrading things. In the end she settles in with two brothers, one of which conjured her, and marries them both - again their is more to the story.

I guess the sub-plots are good enough to buy this. Its a trip gettting inside this writers mind, but some of the eroctica left me feeling ill rather then content.

I really like that these books are extremely erotic and unusual but also very well written. I don't find that combination as often as I'd like to. I loved this book and recommend it. Very creative plots and sex, & the writing is excellent. It's 300 something pages already, but I definitely could've kept reading if it had gone longer.

I think my favorites are Nicholas and Lyon out of all four so far. My sister liked Raine best and another friend liked Dominic best so go figure. This isn't my favorite cover, but it's what's inside that counts. Waiting for another one and hoping it's as good. I heard somewhere that Elizabeth Amber had written some other novels but I can't find anything about that, so maybe not.

Other erotic/hot books I've enjoyed recently include: Wicked Pleasure (Lora Leigh, contemp) and The Madness of Ian Thornton (Jennifer Ashley, historical) and Passion (Lisa Valdez, historical).

"Dominic"

Emma was twelve when she came to live on the Satyr estate with her sister Jane, and Jane's husband, Nicholas. Now twenty-seven she is married to Carlo, who spends much of his time in ElseWorld fighting the raging war. When he visits her one Calling Night, and leaves her with child, she's not exactly thrilled, since she's been trying to avoid that situation all together. But she is prepared to be a dutiful wife.

Dominic is a full-blooded Satyr, a Chosen One. When the birth of a new Chosen One draws near he is called into service to help bring his successor into the world. When he first meets Emma he knows it's just for the Calling, and to help give her child skills as the next Chosen One. But when Carlo can't handle the event and runs, Dominic stays to help Emma birth her child, a girl named Rose. When Carlo dies, Dominic knows he has to have Emma in his life, forever.

There are a few things that stand in their way, however, like the demons Dominic constantly battles and captures, and the fact that Emma doesn't want him for her new husband. Or does she?

"Dominic" is a wonderful return to the world of the Satyrs. I absolutely fell in love with Dominic, the tortured hero who thinks he is destined to live his life alone. Watching him and Emma together warmed my heart, and made my insides twitter. I enjoyed the fact that Emma was willing to take charge of her own life in a time when women were expected to blindly follow the will of their families. Her strength made her the perfect compliment to Dominic, and made this story very satisfying.



"Vincent"

Vincent Satyr is the oldest son of Nicholas and Jane. A lawyer, he is working hard on the treaty to broker peace in the long war on ElseWorld. When he summons his favorite Shimmerskin one night he doesn't expect her to stick around the next morning, and to stay permanently. Vincent enlists the help of his brothers, and vineyard caretaker Landon to help him unravel the mystery and keep watch on Cara while he attends negotiations for the war treaty.

Cara doesn't exactly know what is happening. As a Shimmerskin she is called to meet the carnal needs of the Satyr male. When she stays instead of disappearing she is thrilled with her new home, until two unknown men remind her she has a "purpose." She just has to figure out what it is. When she discovers it, though, she is less than thrilled with her new life.

"Vincent" is an interesting look at the oldest son of Nicholas and Jane, featured in the first book of the Satyr series. Seeing the child born in the first book as a man was interesting for me. Cara is a fascinating character, and I would have liked the opportunity to learn more about her than this short story allowed. This tale also left me with questions. I would have liked to know more about Landon, who features heavily in the story, yet feels strangely undeveloped to me.

Although I liked the concept, I would have liked to have it flushed out a bit, giving me more time with what turned into a trio, with Vincent, Cara and Landon.

For fans of the Lords of Satyr, Dominic is a fun visit to the world created by Ms. Amber. These stories feature love, danger and a great deal of hot, erotic sex that will keep the reader enthralled. Ms. Amber has created a lush world that is the perfect setting for her characters to romp and play, and for readers to lose themselves in.

If you have not tried this series start with the first book and work your way through. If you love the paranormal, and new, interesting worlds that feature exotic customs and a different way of life you will love the Lords of Satyr, as I do.


Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This was soo good, just finished it. Didn't want to put it down. Very good it started out like ooh great a loveless marriage where is the heat the passion and then Dominic comes in ooh yeah baby.. But he first starts as a supposedly rapist but ends up beening the center and greatest love of Emma's life and the child Rose's too. And he is a wonderful father with soo much passion to give. Sometimes the greatest fathers are the men who've seen too much hate..
It was awesome that she included Vincent in this book. I was wondering about those shimmerskins if you fell in love and they stayed with you.
Know I'm pondering about Rosetta and her story..
I see there will be another about Dane (hmm)..

DOMINIC
Emma's already questioning whether she made a mistake in marrying Carlo but that doesn't change the fact that it's almost Calling night and time for their child to enter the world. Emma's a full-blood human, but Carlo is part satyr. Injuries incurred while Carlo was involved in the war in ElseWorld mean that he is unable to perform the ritual necessary to bring their child into the world, and that could prove to be detrimental to the unborn baby.

Carlo's friend, Dominic, is a full-blood satyr and perfectly willing to perform in Carlo's place - much to Emma's horror. She's not comfortable with the situation but in the end knows that if she doesn't succumb to Dominic's lust then her child will die. As the night progresses, she finds pleasure in his lovemaking and is extremely grateful when the night's over and she gives birth to a beautiful little girl. The only blight is Carlo's callous disappearance. Of course, there's something far more troubling that she's completely unaware of - Dominic isn't just a full-blood satyr, he's ElseWorld's weapon in the fight against the demons and feared by all.

If you've read previous books in THE LORDS OF SATYR series then you're probably already aware that Emma's the sister of Jane, Nicholas's wife, and loves reading and learning new things. She's a character I really adored when she was introduced and have often wondered about her. Dominic is the perfect tortured hero. He's strong in so many ways but extremely vulnerable when it comes to matters of the heart. I really felt bad for him because he is so conflicted between duty and desire. There's an undeniable passion between Emma and Dominic that kept me enthralled in their story and the shocking events that occur.


VINCENT
Vincent Satyr, like all of his kind, is driven by his sexual needs and has always accepted that Calling night is a night of hedonistic delights. As a bachelor he has to conjure an insentient Shimmerskin to satisfy his desires, and once he's done fornicating she disappears back to the mists of ElseWorld. At least that's the way it's always worked - until now. Unlike his brothers Vincent is fixated on a particu lar Shimmerskin and calls her to him over and over - always wishing for her to experience the pleasure with him.

Shimmerskins are simply vessels used by Satyr males - especially unmated ones - during their time of carnal need. Calling night being a time when copulation is necessary for the health and wellbeing of Satyrs, it's therefore when they're called forth most often - and simply disappear back to ElseWorld when they're no longer needed. Only this time, Vincent's insentient female Shimmerskin doesn't disappear. She wakes in his bed in EarthWorld and she's fearful and apprehensive of what this could mean. "What is my purpose?" is a vital question she asks over and over. Will she be able to handle the answer? How will Vincent handle the troubling problems involved with bringing a Shimmerskin into his life and bed?

Vincent is the oldest son and heir of Jane and Nicholas Satyr. He's extremely intelligent but has a tender heart and that allows him to become besotted with a Shimmerskin. This story really captures the true temperament and earnestness of his personality but it also brings an exciting and unexpected treat by bringing a Shimmerskin to `life.' She reminds me of an innocent child just discovering all the joys life has to offer. There's a lingering sense of doom in this story that really captured my attention and held it through to the last page.

Once again Elizabeth Amber successfully blends history and mythology to create one utterly satisfying read. DOMINIC and VINCENT are stories derived from characters first introduced in previous THE LORDS OF SATYR novels so they've already earned themselves a place in readers' hearts and memories. There's a running theme throughout these stories - a missing medallion - which I have to admit fascinated me because of the evilness that seems bound by this item. Ms. Amber has a real talent for bringing these characters and their stories to life so that readers can visualize the events as they occur and become a part of the story rather than just an observer. Kudos Ms. Amber on another spellbinding and endearing book - you've definitely earned your place on my auto buy list!

If you haven't read the other books in this series then I'd highly suggest picking up copies. They're excellent stories - plus they have really hot covers! Here are the titles in order:
NICHOLAS Nicholas: The Lords of Satyr
RAINE Raine: The Lords of Satyr
LYON Lyon: Lords Of Satyr (The Lords of Satyr)
DOMINIC
and
DANE (coming soon)

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

After having such a great start with Nicholas and such let downs in the Raine and Lyon, it was nice to see Elizabeth Amber back at her best. The first half of the book has a wonderful story that will titalate and is most fulfilling. The second half (second story) is what keeps me from giving it a full 5 stars. It starts off great then somehow ends up being a big mess with sex throw in for fun.

Dominic is the savior and guardian of his people, yet they fear him and want nothing to do with him because of what he is. A true wounded hero who stoically goes about his work carrying the burden of his own people's scorn. I love his character. When he is called upon to carry out another duty involving Emma (a secondary character--Jane's sister from the first book--Nicholas), he goes through the gate to fufill his duty to protect his own kind. Emma's husband is not what she believed him to be and she is suffering. She and Dominic make a great pair and I believed they were meant for each other. If she ever doesn't want him--I'll take him off her hands!

If you've read the previous books and were curious about Shimmerskins, this one has Vincent falling in love/lust with one. But there are evil forces at work who want to use her to exact revenge on Vincent and his brothers. (Vincent is the son of Jane from the first book, Nicholas.)

This book is set about 25 years after the first book, Nicholas, so some of the characters who were young in Nicholas are now front and center as adult main characters.

I think all of these books can be read individually and out of order. That said, I prefer reading a series in order and you'll probably get the most out of this one by doing that.

Highly recommend these novels if you are not faint of heart and enjoy dark, HOT, historical romance with a hint of paranormal that is VERY WELL WRITTEN.

I love this book series. If you ever just need a good fantasy storyline this is THE series to read. Wish there were more!