Note from the author: This is a very short story - a bit under 5000 words.
A new prisoner has been brought to the castle. They say he's a warrior. They call him a demon. They whisper that he can grant wishes.
Saiven can't resist. He sneaks into the secluded dungeon to see, but the man chained to the wall is not what he expects. Smiling. Teasing. He introduces himself as Faolan, and Saiven is caught.
This...man. He makes Saiven feel things he should not feel. Draws forth confessions that were meant to stay secret. Faolan freely grants him warmth and laughter. But now...
Now it's time to find out if Saiven is strong enough to earn a wish.
Born an Air Force dependent, Rowan McBride traveled the world and totally missed the 80’s as most Americans know it. In exchange, xe’s gotten to walk in clogs, break an arm at Mt. Fuji, and say prayers at a Korean Buddhist temple. So far it seems like a fair trade. Although xe graduated from high school in Hawaii, xe didn’t learn to hula and make leis until going to college in Iowa. After leaving the Midwest, xe moved to Washington, DC and very nearly got xemself a Juris Doctor degree. Now xe’s chilling out in Texas, diabolically planning road trips that could span years.
People say xyr life is random, and that’s probably true. Rowan comforts xemself with the working theory that a random life makes for good stories. When that doesn’t work, there’s Pocky. Lots and lots of Pocky.
I loved this story! The slight mystery around what was going on, the clearly neglected and lonely prince, his insatiable curiosity, and the utter strangeness of the "demon" prisoner pulled me in. I was glued to the pages (of which there weren't enough) and couldn't wait to see where this story ended up.
Saiven, the seventh and least favorite son of an evil king, is more curious than is good for him, and has more courage than even he believes. He sneaks into the dungeon to find out the truth about his father's newest prisoner, and I was with him every step along the dark, dank corridors. The man he finds isn't at all what Saiven expects, and he proceeds to find out more.
Faolan is very mysterious, and I can't say too much about him without spoiling the surprise. But he clearly has an agenda and is very careful about revealing it. I was very impressed with him!
The passion between these two is red-hot, and the surprising twist at the end had me cheering them on. If you like stories that grab your attention and don't let you go, if you enjoy reading slightly mysterious stories with a twist, and if you're looking for amazing passion between two characters, give this one a go. It's free, and, even though I wish it were longer, it is perfect exactly the way it is.
I really enjoyed this really short story. I would have loved to read a longer more epic version, as it really felt there was more to tell about Sairen and Faolan both separately and once they were together.
Saiven is the youngest son of a king who reviles him. Faolin is a captive in the king's dungeon and is supposedly a demon. Saiven risks a journey down to the dungeon to see Faolin and receives more than he ever thought possible. Excellently written beginning to what could be a great story. Hot, sexy and beautiful.
A short, fantasy piece. It was okay. Sweet ending. I didn't care for the delicate, smaller bottom to the tough, powerful top dynamic. It also suffered from the destined mate trope which I am more than tired of.
Sweet short story about mistreated prince and a demon held captive in castle's dungeons. There is one thing that bothered me a bit. But hey, it's a fantasy world, so I probably shouldn't pick on it too much.
3.5 stars rounded up because of the excellent writing. . . wished it was a bit longer and more fleshed out but a very enjoyable short story that read like a dark erotic fairy tale. A free story that's made me want to read a longer work by this author.
Very short, very sweet and simple in its plot. No surprises here. 4 stars because I love the author’s style. This made me miss Rowan Mcbride so I think I’ll schedule some re-reads!
Lovely little quick burn story. Saiven is the seventh son and the least loved. He is hated by his father and all of his brothers and cousins. He lives a miserable life, but at least has relative freedom to wander the castle, which is how he gets to see the newest prison, a demon named Faolan. The demon can grant wishes, but the only wish Saiven has is to be with a man without risking his father's wrath, which Faolan says he can grant. The interaction is very sweet, and learning of Saiven's past is heartbreaking. For such a short story it has an amazing amount of hope and joy that I very much enjoyed.
Me ha gustado muchísimo el giro que se le dio al final del relato. Faolan y Saiven me han gustado mucho, me hubiera gustado ver un epílogo de años después juntos y ver como Saiven ahora es feliz al lado de su pareja.
Título: Cadenas Título original: Chains Autor: Rowan McBride Editorial: Traductores Anónimos Género: Homoerótica/Fantástica Nº de páginas: 25 páginas. Serie: Ninguna Sinopsis: Había muchas mazmorras en el castillo y Saiven, el séptimo hijo de un cruel rey, las había visto todas. Pero una era especial. Siempre había estado vacía. Hasta ahora...
General: Nos habla de un reino en el que el Rey es malvado y el amor entre hombres está prohibido. El protagonista es el menor de los hijos del rey, el cual es la diana del odio de su padre y de sus hermanos.
A pesar de ser una historia corta, logra narrarnos con facilidad la dura vida que ha tenido el protagonista, su dolor y sus ganas de sentirse querido, al mismo tiempo que nos muestra un personaje de trasfondo bondadoso.
Nos metemos de lleno en la historia en la primera página, y cuando llegamos al final nos deja con ganas de más, con ganas de saber qué ocurre después.
Me ha gustado bastante y puedo decir que seguiré leyendo cosas de Rowan McBride.
Para recordar: Las miradas que se describen al principio entre los protagonistas.
Para olvidar: No hay ningún aspecto que recalcar.
Te gustará si te gustó...: Otras obras del género o del autor.
En conclusión: Es una historia corta, bien narrada y directa al grano.
Chains, a short erotic story written by Rowan McBride, deals with a curious prince and a special prisoner. It is a story that deals with forbidden love and desires. About overcoming your fears and giving in to what you want.
The writing is well written and the twist at the end is quite enjoyable. As with all short stories, characterization isn’t a strong point, but Chains is worth the read nonetheless.
Would have loved a sequel. If you do give this steamy story a try keep in mind it is a BL story meaning male/male relations.
A wonderful erotic short story with more characterisation and world building than some novels. Everything you need to visualise the fantasy world and the characters is there in so few words. Adored it and Saiven was a wonderfully naive hero, but the demon certainly takes care of that soon enough :) Would have loved to have read more in this universe. I'll be looking out some more books by this author.
An interesting read I picked up during the Whips and Kisses challenge. It started off dark and gloomy and ended with hope for a bright future. Its very short but very well written. Its mildly paranormal and appears set in alt universe castle dungeon. An enjoyable 20 min read
24.1.15 : reread. A fantastical story, quick, speedy,.
Saiven, seventh son to the king, visits the dungeons to see Faolan - a demon, or something more, which grants wishes that are earned. Theirs is a story like a chain, linked and sometimes hard and cold, somewhat possessive, but not always realized.