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Emperor's Brides #1
Untouchable
He burns for her, but this exotic beauty is untouchable.
The Emperor of Columbyana is in need of a bride. Riders have been sent to the far corners of the kingdom to bring back six noble beauties for him to choose from. But none can compare to Sanura, an exotic slave with the power to see into men's souls. To touch her is said to bring incredible pleasure—and certain death. Even for the emperor's twin brother, Prince Alixandyr.
Alix is charged with bringing this rare creature back to the palace. A man possessed, he has wrestled the darkness inside him since birth. He cannot afford to desire Sanura, but the attraction between them is stronger than his darkest impulses. Even if it means his own destruction, he cannot allow the emperor to claim her.
Sanura is a proud woman of great power, reduced to a plaything for the rakish emperor. She wants nothing more than her freedom—except, perhaps, Alix. He is a mystery, the first and only man whose true soul remains hidden from her. As their passion threatens to unleash the demons within Alix, Sanura must do all she can to save the man she loves and prevent him from committting an unforgivable sin.
The Emperor of Columbyana is in need of a bride. Riders have been sent to the far corners of the kingdom to bring back six noble beauties for him to choose from. But none can compare to Sanura, an exotic slave with the power to see into men's souls. To touch her is said to bring incredible pleasure—and certain death. Even for the emperor's twin brother, Prince Alixandyr.
Alix is charged with bringing this rare creature back to the palace. A man possessed, he has wrestled the darkness inside him since birth. He cannot afford to desire Sanura, but the attraction between them is stronger than his darkest impulses. Even if it means his own destruction, he cannot allow the emperor to claim her.
Sanura is a proud woman of great power, reduced to a plaything for the rakish emperor. She wants nothing more than her freedom—except, perhaps, Alix. He is a mystery, the first and only man whose true soul remains hidden from her. As their passion threatens to unleash the demons within Alix, Sanura must do all she can to save the man she loves and prevent him from committting an unforgivable sin.
280 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 5, 2008
27 people are currently reading
595 people want to read
About the author
Linda Winstead Jones
184 books377 followersLinda Winstead Jones is the bestselling author of more than eighty romance novels and novellas across several sub-genres. She’s easily distracted (Look! A squirrel!) and writes the stories that speak to her in the moment. Paranormal. Romantic Suspense. Twisted Fairy Tales. Cowboys. Her books are for readers who want to escape from reality for a while, who don’t mind the occasional trip into another world for a laugh, a chill, the occasional heartwarming tear. Where will we go next?
More information can be found at lindawinsteadjones.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, and at www.facebook.com/LindaWinsteadJones or www.facebook.com/LindaHowardLindaJones.
More information can be found at lindawinsteadjones.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, and at www.facebook.com/LindaWinsteadJones or www.facebook.com/LindaHowardLindaJones.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 25, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com
This was my first novel by Linda Winstead Jones, although she is a well-known and well-liked author of many paranormal romance novels including Prince of Fire. Untouchable is also a paranormal romance, although it could almost fall into the Historical Romance category because of all of the tales of Kings, Queens and Emperors, however because it is set in a world other than our own, it’s classified as paranormal.
This is a story about two brothers… well, one brother actually, however you have to know both of them to know the story. These brothers are fraternal twins. One of them, the firstborn, is Emperor Jahn of Columbyana. He is in need of a bride. So Emperor Jahn sends out men to different locations around the world to bring him suitable bridal candidates. One of the men he sends is his younger brother (by mere minutes) Prince Alixandyr. Prince Alix goes to get a potential bride- Princess Edlyn- and as he is departing with her, the King gives Alix a gift for the Emperor, a woman named Sanura. She is a woman made to pleasure men and she can see into their souls while she belongs to them, however no one is allowed to touch her unless she is theirs. To ensure this, Sanura is covered in blue powder. If anyone touches her skin, they get stained and the men assigned to protect her will kill anyone on site of they see blue on someone else’s skin other than Sanura.
Sanura must ride with Prince Alix back to the Emperor, and they slowly become more and more enamored of each other. However, Alix has a dark side to him, one that emerges when he least expects it. And when Princess Edlyn turns up dead, Prince Alix is the first one they suspect. When the riding party accuses Alix of the killing, he grabs Sanura, kisses her, throws her on his horse and flees! Now, the two of them have to make it back to Emperor Jahn in time to prove their innocence and Alix refuses to give Sanura up no matter the consequences. Is Prince Alix innocent of what they are accusing him of, or has his dark side taken over his life? Can Sanura love both parts of Alix, the dark and the light?
Untouchable was a forbidden romance story, where two people who shouldn’t be together, loved each other anyway. This book was a bit long at times, and there was a side story about one of the potential brides that I wasn’t sure belonged in this book. I thought Ms. Winstead Jones would end the side story differently as to tie it in to the rest of the book, however that didn’t happen so I wasn’t sure what the purpose was. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and if there were another book, perhaps a story about the Emperor, I would definitely pick it up.
xo
This was my first novel by Linda Winstead Jones, although she is a well-known and well-liked author of many paranormal romance novels including Prince of Fire. Untouchable is also a paranormal romance, although it could almost fall into the Historical Romance category because of all of the tales of Kings, Queens and Emperors, however because it is set in a world other than our own, it’s classified as paranormal.
This is a story about two brothers… well, one brother actually, however you have to know both of them to know the story. These brothers are fraternal twins. One of them, the firstborn, is Emperor Jahn of Columbyana. He is in need of a bride. So Emperor Jahn sends out men to different locations around the world to bring him suitable bridal candidates. One of the men he sends is his younger brother (by mere minutes) Prince Alixandyr. Prince Alix goes to get a potential bride- Princess Edlyn- and as he is departing with her, the King gives Alix a gift for the Emperor, a woman named Sanura. She is a woman made to pleasure men and she can see into their souls while she belongs to them, however no one is allowed to touch her unless she is theirs. To ensure this, Sanura is covered in blue powder. If anyone touches her skin, they get stained and the men assigned to protect her will kill anyone on site of they see blue on someone else’s skin other than Sanura.
Sanura must ride with Prince Alix back to the Emperor, and they slowly become more and more enamored of each other. However, Alix has a dark side to him, one that emerges when he least expects it. And when Princess Edlyn turns up dead, Prince Alix is the first one they suspect. When the riding party accuses Alix of the killing, he grabs Sanura, kisses her, throws her on his horse and flees! Now, the two of them have to make it back to Emperor Jahn in time to prove their innocence and Alix refuses to give Sanura up no matter the consequences. Is Prince Alix innocent of what they are accusing him of, or has his dark side taken over his life? Can Sanura love both parts of Alix, the dark and the light?
Untouchable was a forbidden romance story, where two people who shouldn’t be together, loved each other anyway. This book was a bit long at times, and there was a side story about one of the potential brides that I wasn’t sure belonged in this book. I thought Ms. Winstead Jones would end the side story differently as to tie it in to the rest of the book, however that didn’t happen so I wasn’t sure what the purpose was. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and if there were another book, perhaps a story about the Emperor, I would definitely pick it up.
xo
December 27, 2014
I was a little disappointed that the premise of the book did not turn out like I had envisioned, and felt a little cheated as a result. That feeling faded as the story grabbed me, with some interesting developments and twists that left me guessing. I think the author telegraphed who the villain was far too early, and it would be nice to still be guessing until the big reveal. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I think I will have to read the next in the series.
February 23, 2011
Pros: Hero's struggle against his dark side is fascinating.
Cons: Major plot thread is still completely unaddressed by the end of the book.
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
Sent to escort a prospective bride to his brother Emperor Jahn, Alix finds his hands full with not only a willful princess, but an unexpected female gift to his brother as well. Sanura, a woman trained in seeing both sexual pleasure and seeing into men's souls, is fascinated by the darkness that she sees inside of Alix. As disaster strikes and the chaos in Alix threatens to overwhelm him, Sanura must try to stop him from doing something that would break him completely.
This book was a lot of fun to read, because both the hero and heroine had aspects that really fascinate me. Sanura is a woman trained not only to see into men's souls, but also to be able to please them. She can't read their minds, but she can certainly get ideas of their feelings and motivations. Because a certain degree of cynicism exists with that kind of ability, it was fascinating to watch her relationship with Alix. His other side makes it difficult for her to fully read him, and watching her reactions as she tries to understand him help us understand more of what she was trained to do. Also interesting to watch was the shift in Sanura's approach to sex as her feelings for Alix developed. It's not often that I get to see a character in a romance novel consider love in the way that she does, and it was both refreshing and enjoyable.
Alix also fascinated me. I'm somewhat of an amateur psychology buff, and so watching both the way that his darker side works in this book, as well as the way that he has to overcome it, are absolutely fascinating. I can't tell you more without spoiling the book, but I've never seen someone's inner conflict resolved in the way that Alix's was, and I adored it.
The setting and background to this story are full of their own stories, as the setting is a fantasy one. If you're a reader that enjoys lots of lore and background, however, then this might not be an enjoyable book for you. There were several occasions where I wanted more than just a brief explanation of prior events, but that's because I'm a sucker for lore and complex backgrounds. The level of detail was certainly appropriate for a romance novel, though. I just happen to be one of those readers that loves to understand the history of a setting.
The one thing that absolutely drove me up the wall about this book, however, are the major plot threads that are left dangling after the book is done. Assassination attempts are made, along with attempts to possibly discredit the royal family. Yet no one in a position of authority seems to really be concerned about these matters, or even to want to try to get to the bottom of them. I understand that this book is the beginning of a series, and so not everything is going to be solved at the end of this book, but to have no clue about why these things are happening throughout the entire book is somewhat irritating, but to see that no one seems to take much interest is simply maddening.
This book also has a second storyline running through it, centered around another of the Emperor's potential brides. The deeper I got into her story, the more I started to wonder why she didn't merit her own book. I liked her as a character in her own right, but her story isn't a part of Alix and Sanura's at all and just felt out of place because of that. I spent a good portion of the book trying to find a connection between the two stories that turned out to be non-existent, and so I couldn't help feeling like it was filler.
Because I loved Sanura and Alix's characters so much, I wanted to give this book a 4, but the non-related plot and loose ends had me leaning towards a 2.5. I wound up settling at a three, but only because of how much the characters and their dynamics fascinated me. Fantasy fans may be left looking for more, but the book works quite well as a romance.
Cons: Major plot thread is still completely unaddressed by the end of the book.
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
Sent to escort a prospective bride to his brother Emperor Jahn, Alix finds his hands full with not only a willful princess, but an unexpected female gift to his brother as well. Sanura, a woman trained in seeing both sexual pleasure and seeing into men's souls, is fascinated by the darkness that she sees inside of Alix. As disaster strikes and the chaos in Alix threatens to overwhelm him, Sanura must try to stop him from doing something that would break him completely.
This book was a lot of fun to read, because both the hero and heroine had aspects that really fascinate me. Sanura is a woman trained not only to see into men's souls, but also to be able to please them. She can't read their minds, but she can certainly get ideas of their feelings and motivations. Because a certain degree of cynicism exists with that kind of ability, it was fascinating to watch her relationship with Alix. His other side makes it difficult for her to fully read him, and watching her reactions as she tries to understand him help us understand more of what she was trained to do. Also interesting to watch was the shift in Sanura's approach to sex as her feelings for Alix developed. It's not often that I get to see a character in a romance novel consider love in the way that she does, and it was both refreshing and enjoyable.
Alix also fascinated me. I'm somewhat of an amateur psychology buff, and so watching both the way that his darker side works in this book, as well as the way that he has to overcome it, are absolutely fascinating. I can't tell you more without spoiling the book, but I've never seen someone's inner conflict resolved in the way that Alix's was, and I adored it.
The setting and background to this story are full of their own stories, as the setting is a fantasy one. If you're a reader that enjoys lots of lore and background, however, then this might not be an enjoyable book for you. There were several occasions where I wanted more than just a brief explanation of prior events, but that's because I'm a sucker for lore and complex backgrounds. The level of detail was certainly appropriate for a romance novel, though. I just happen to be one of those readers that loves to understand the history of a setting.
The one thing that absolutely drove me up the wall about this book, however, are the major plot threads that are left dangling after the book is done. Assassination attempts are made, along with attempts to possibly discredit the royal family. Yet no one in a position of authority seems to really be concerned about these matters, or even to want to try to get to the bottom of them. I understand that this book is the beginning of a series, and so not everything is going to be solved at the end of this book, but to have no clue about why these things are happening throughout the entire book is somewhat irritating, but to see that no one seems to take much interest is simply maddening.
This book also has a second storyline running through it, centered around another of the Emperor's potential brides. The deeper I got into her story, the more I started to wonder why she didn't merit her own book. I liked her as a character in her own right, but her story isn't a part of Alix and Sanura's at all and just felt out of place because of that. I spent a good portion of the book trying to find a connection between the two stories that turned out to be non-existent, and so I couldn't help feeling like it was filler.
Because I loved Sanura and Alix's characters so much, I wanted to give this book a 4, but the non-related plot and loose ends had me leaning towards a 2.5. I wound up settling at a three, but only because of how much the characters and their dynamics fascinated me. Fantasy fans may be left looking for more, but the book works quite well as a romance.
August 1, 2011
I rather enjoyed this book. Twin brothers, one dark and doing everything in his power to keep that darkness secreted from others, an interesting blue woman who was created only for a man’s pleasure, and everything’s thrown into chaos when the evil machinations of another brings forth that darkness. Well, it’s something different than from most everything I’ve ever read before!
Emperor Jahn has finally given in to his council’s nagging him to marry and beget an heir. He sends men to the farthest reaches of the land to bring to him women to choose for his bride. His brother, Prince Alix, is sent to escort the young woman who will give the emperor a much-needed alliance. Things do not go as planned for the prince. Not only does he head home with a bride to be, but also a Agnese woman, Sanura, who has been created and trained to pleasure the men who own her. Death is the penalty for any other man who touches her, and the blue paint she wears on her body is the telltale sign of that offense, all that is needed for her protectors to wield their swords.
During the return journey is when both Alix’s hidden darkness is forced to the fore by a lurking evil. He fails to protect his charge; she’s found murdered, his own dagger the weapon used. Sanura is also implicated and Alix’s dark self, Trystan, emerges to help them flee the death squad his soldiers have become. Though Alix is able to retain control of himself, there’s something about Sanura that moved him before these unfortunate events, he held himself back from her because she’s been given as a gift to his brother, but on the run with her their feelings begin to grow and his darkness once again claims control and is determined to have what has always been just out of his reach his entire life.
At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this story. There are a lot of players until the real meat of it all comes along. Once that happens, however, things move at a good little clip. I really liked the times throughout the book when Alix has been quieted by Trystan and we learn all that he covets and what he’s going to do about it. Finally Sanura comes to realize the man she’s fallen in love with may never return, but she eases herself and her love under Trystan’s skin so that a new man eventually evolves.
My only disappointment was that when everyone is home again and all is revealed, including Tyrstan’s plans, I was a little disappointed in Emperor Jahn’s reaction to it all. This is his twin, so I expected much more from him, especially considering the depth of Trystan’s feelings over the years. Other than that, Ms. Winstead Jones has given us an intriguing story that’s so different from a lot of romance we read today. I’m looking forward to Jahn’s story in 22 Nights. After everything the entire cast went through to find him a bride, I’m curious to see who he actually chooses.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Emperor Jahn has finally given in to his council’s nagging him to marry and beget an heir. He sends men to the farthest reaches of the land to bring to him women to choose for his bride. His brother, Prince Alix, is sent to escort the young woman who will give the emperor a much-needed alliance. Things do not go as planned for the prince. Not only does he head home with a bride to be, but also a Agnese woman, Sanura, who has been created and trained to pleasure the men who own her. Death is the penalty for any other man who touches her, and the blue paint she wears on her body is the telltale sign of that offense, all that is needed for her protectors to wield their swords.
During the return journey is when both Alix’s hidden darkness is forced to the fore by a lurking evil. He fails to protect his charge; she’s found murdered, his own dagger the weapon used. Sanura is also implicated and Alix’s dark self, Trystan, emerges to help them flee the death squad his soldiers have become. Though Alix is able to retain control of himself, there’s something about Sanura that moved him before these unfortunate events, he held himself back from her because she’s been given as a gift to his brother, but on the run with her their feelings begin to grow and his darkness once again claims control and is determined to have what has always been just out of his reach his entire life.
At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this story. There are a lot of players until the real meat of it all comes along. Once that happens, however, things move at a good little clip. I really liked the times throughout the book when Alix has been quieted by Trystan and we learn all that he covets and what he’s going to do about it. Finally Sanura comes to realize the man she’s fallen in love with may never return, but she eases herself and her love under Trystan’s skin so that a new man eventually evolves.
My only disappointment was that when everyone is home again and all is revealed, including Tyrstan’s plans, I was a little disappointed in Emperor Jahn’s reaction to it all. This is his twin, so I expected much more from him, especially considering the depth of Trystan’s feelings over the years. Other than that, Ms. Winstead Jones has given us an intriguing story that’s so different from a lot of romance we read today. I’m looking forward to Jahn’s story in 22 Nights. After everything the entire cast went through to find him a bride, I’m curious to see who he actually chooses.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
July 14, 2024
This is my favorite author and book series
August 15, 2025
When the hero is sent to a neighboring kingdom to retrieve a potential bride for his emperor brother, the hero knows his legendary calm and patience will be sourly tested. In lesser fashion by the annoying and whiny princess who won't shut up for a moment 3 weeks into their trip. However, the more pressing concern is his intense and unnerving attraction to the forbidden heroine. She's given to his brother as a gift mainly because the Queen is threatened by the amazon women's beauty and sexual allure.
The heroine is from a strange land where women are possessions and forbidden to touch any man other than the one to own them. It's why she is covered with a special blue paint that will mark the offender, so that her 2 guards can kill him to preserve her. She is not innocent though. She is intense and with intelligent eyes and a gift for seeing into the true heart of a person, she is extremely dangerous to him. The heroine is used to being an outcast. Women of this country scorn her and the men are both repulsed by her blue skin while at the same time lustful towards her beauty and nature sexual awareness.
With her gift, she's able to understand most of those who encounter her but the hero, this strong and repressed man is confusing. He is a good man. He is intensely loyal and selfless, always willing and able to do his duty. He is also hiding a secret. But she can see it, she can see the darkness within him just waiting for a moment to arise and when it does, she encounters a very different man that the hansom and kind soldier she's traveled with. This other man is reckless and harsh. He shows no mercy or willingness to be kind and decent. He wants to kill his brother the emperor and take control of the throne. He wants to use the heroines body and does not care about her heart. But when their camp is prey to murder, the princess killed, the planted evidence turns to the hero as the guilty party and she must willingly call upon this other man to guild them to safety. There, the other darkness part of this man she's come to love takes control and she fears the kind and decent man she knew is buried too far beneath the bad. She tries everything in her power to get the hero to fight back against this other man but to no success. Yet, as time passes, she begins to see a change within this man. No longer is one man white and one man black but rather each begin to show hints of a grey. The two parts of his personality are beginning to merge to create a healthy balanced man. With his goal to kill the emperor though, the heroine fears that the black still outweighs the good. She comes to learn that she loves both men as one because they are one. But will her love be enough to save the hero from himself?
This book was just as enchanting and creatively written as this whole series has been. I adore the phrasing and the magical quality to this authors stories. I especially love how well developed her characters are. The heroine was a strong and intelligent female who know how to read people, with or without her gift, and she was very stoic and seemly always in control. I thought she was an amazing women. Born a possession to the man lucky enough to own her, she knew how to accept her situation while at the same time she knew how to work around it. She was a driving force behind the heroes eventual salvation and throughout the story she was always the one with the power. Even when she bound, even when the other was holding her prisoner, the reader had the impression that she was pulling the strings. I liked that about her. The hero was a man split. On one hand he was a repressed man with zero ambition and a blind obedience to duty. This man would never touch a women meant for his brother. This man would never allow his temper to rule him. In many ways, it was this repression that allowed the other to take control so strongly. The other was a bad man who cared nothing for others and wanted the power and riches of what he considered to be his birth right. Eventually these two men would begin to merge to create a man better balanced between his dark and light because neither man alone was correct. The plotline was nice but in typically fashion a whole lot more subplots were occurring throughout the story and I wasn't as interested in the story of the other princess or the rebel soldier who betrayed the hero. Still. It was a magical story with real characters.
The heroine is from a strange land where women are possessions and forbidden to touch any man other than the one to own them. It's why she is covered with a special blue paint that will mark the offender, so that her 2 guards can kill him to preserve her. She is not innocent though. She is intense and with intelligent eyes and a gift for seeing into the true heart of a person, she is extremely dangerous to him. The heroine is used to being an outcast. Women of this country scorn her and the men are both repulsed by her blue skin while at the same time lustful towards her beauty and nature sexual awareness.
With her gift, she's able to understand most of those who encounter her but the hero, this strong and repressed man is confusing. He is a good man. He is intensely loyal and selfless, always willing and able to do his duty. He is also hiding a secret. But she can see it, she can see the darkness within him just waiting for a moment to arise and when it does, she encounters a very different man that the hansom and kind soldier she's traveled with. This other man is reckless and harsh. He shows no mercy or willingness to be kind and decent. He wants to kill his brother the emperor and take control of the throne. He wants to use the heroines body and does not care about her heart. But when their camp is prey to murder, the princess killed, the planted evidence turns to the hero as the guilty party and she must willingly call upon this other man to guild them to safety. There, the other darkness part of this man she's come to love takes control and she fears the kind and decent man she knew is buried too far beneath the bad. She tries everything in her power to get the hero to fight back against this other man but to no success. Yet, as time passes, she begins to see a change within this man. No longer is one man white and one man black but rather each begin to show hints of a grey. The two parts of his personality are beginning to merge to create a healthy balanced man. With his goal to kill the emperor though, the heroine fears that the black still outweighs the good. She comes to learn that she loves both men as one because they are one. But will her love be enough to save the hero from himself?
This book was just as enchanting and creatively written as this whole series has been. I adore the phrasing and the magical quality to this authors stories. I especially love how well developed her characters are. The heroine was a strong and intelligent female who know how to read people, with or without her gift, and she was very stoic and seemly always in control. I thought she was an amazing women. Born a possession to the man lucky enough to own her, she knew how to accept her situation while at the same time she knew how to work around it. She was a driving force behind the heroes eventual salvation and throughout the story she was always the one with the power. Even when she bound, even when the other was holding her prisoner, the reader had the impression that she was pulling the strings. I liked that about her. The hero was a man split. On one hand he was a repressed man with zero ambition and a blind obedience to duty. This man would never touch a women meant for his brother. This man would never allow his temper to rule him. In many ways, it was this repression that allowed the other to take control so strongly. The other was a bad man who cared nothing for others and wanted the power and riches of what he considered to be his birth right. Eventually these two men would begin to merge to create a man better balanced between his dark and light because neither man alone was correct. The plotline was nice but in typically fashion a whole lot more subplots were occurring throughout the story and I wasn't as interested in the story of the other princess or the rebel soldier who betrayed the hero. Still. It was a magical story with real characters.
March 7, 2012
Reviewed by Kati Dancy
3 stars out of 5
In an alternate world from ours, there is a country, Columbyana. The emperor, Jahn, has decided it’s time to marry. He has sent riders to the far corners of the world to collect prospective brides, whom he will meet and choose from. He sends his twin brother, Prince Alixandyr to Tryfyn, to escort Princess Edlyn to Columbyana to meet the emperor. Edlyn is not pleased at all to be offered to the emperor for marriage. Already a disagreeable sort, she’s resolved that she will make the journey home as difficult as possible for Prince Alix. At the same time, her mother, Queen Coira, decided that she will send, as a gift to the emperor, a gift that had been originally presented to her husband. That gift is a pleasure slave named Sanura. Sanura has the ability to see into a man’s soul when she joins with him. She believes that her one purpose in the world is to serve her master. She is to be touched only by her master, and to protect that virtue, she is painted blue with a powder that cannot be removed by water, but will come off on a man if he so much as touches her.
If Princess Edlyn is difficult and cranky, Sanura is everything that is serene. She understands immediately when Queen Coira would send her away, and is resigned to going to Columbyana. What she does not expect is her reaction to Prince Alix. You see Alix is a split personality. When she touches him, she can detect a “light” side and a “dark” side. As they travel, she interacts with both sides. When Alix sleeps, Trystan, his dark side comes to visit her. He is bold and cocky and brash. And he is devious. Joining them on their travels is a disgruntled sentinal named Vyrn, who has been tasked with undermining Prince Alix in any way possible. He does this by seducing a young maid and convincing her to help him frame Prince Alix for the murder of Princess Edlyn. His plan works perfectly and soon Alix and Sanura are on the run. As they escape, Sanura calls upon Trystan, who has less honor than Alix to help her escape. This gives Trystan power over Alix and soon he has taken over Alix’s body, subjugating Alix in to consciousness and taking over his body. Sanura is aware of the change, and realizes (because Trystan tells her) that he means the emperor, Alix’s brother, harm when they arrive in Columbyana.
Phew! As you can tell, this is a complicated story! And I haven’t even mentioned a secondary love story about a woman who is also traveling to Columbyana to marry to emperor and falls in love with her sentinal. Part of the difficulty for me about this story is the Alix is SO noble and honorable and good, and Trystan is VERY. BAD. And a large portion of the story is set when Trystan is control. I found him pretty much wholly unlikeable and self centered. Even though as the story advances, and he warms to Sanura, he remained to me an unsympathetic character. And Sanura is all that is sweetness and light, which I found kind of hard to believe. She is very likeable, but also reacts completely unrealistically in my opinion. She remains completely calm no matter what, and is as accepting of every horrible action and event that comes her way. I yearned for her to stomp her foot, or be difficult, or show some initiative.
All of that being said, the author does a lovely job of creating an alternate universe, which is very medieval in feel. Her writing style is extremely lyrical and descriptive. The story does flow, it just was one that I didn’t particularly love. My guess is that the story will work for many readers as an unusual fantasy story. If you enjoy fantasy romance and unique settings, this book might work for you. For me, I appreciated the writing style of Ms. Winstead Jones, but struggled to relate to the characters.
*REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ROMANCE NOVEL TV
3 stars out of 5
In an alternate world from ours, there is a country, Columbyana. The emperor, Jahn, has decided it’s time to marry. He has sent riders to the far corners of the world to collect prospective brides, whom he will meet and choose from. He sends his twin brother, Prince Alixandyr to Tryfyn, to escort Princess Edlyn to Columbyana to meet the emperor. Edlyn is not pleased at all to be offered to the emperor for marriage. Already a disagreeable sort, she’s resolved that she will make the journey home as difficult as possible for Prince Alix. At the same time, her mother, Queen Coira, decided that she will send, as a gift to the emperor, a gift that had been originally presented to her husband. That gift is a pleasure slave named Sanura. Sanura has the ability to see into a man’s soul when she joins with him. She believes that her one purpose in the world is to serve her master. She is to be touched only by her master, and to protect that virtue, she is painted blue with a powder that cannot be removed by water, but will come off on a man if he so much as touches her.
If Princess Edlyn is difficult and cranky, Sanura is everything that is serene. She understands immediately when Queen Coira would send her away, and is resigned to going to Columbyana. What she does not expect is her reaction to Prince Alix. You see Alix is a split personality. When she touches him, she can detect a “light” side and a “dark” side. As they travel, she interacts with both sides. When Alix sleeps, Trystan, his dark side comes to visit her. He is bold and cocky and brash. And he is devious. Joining them on their travels is a disgruntled sentinal named Vyrn, who has been tasked with undermining Prince Alix in any way possible. He does this by seducing a young maid and convincing her to help him frame Prince Alix for the murder of Princess Edlyn. His plan works perfectly and soon Alix and Sanura are on the run. As they escape, Sanura calls upon Trystan, who has less honor than Alix to help her escape. This gives Trystan power over Alix and soon he has taken over Alix’s body, subjugating Alix in to consciousness and taking over his body. Sanura is aware of the change, and realizes (because Trystan tells her) that he means the emperor, Alix’s brother, harm when they arrive in Columbyana.
Phew! As you can tell, this is a complicated story! And I haven’t even mentioned a secondary love story about a woman who is also traveling to Columbyana to marry to emperor and falls in love with her sentinal. Part of the difficulty for me about this story is the Alix is SO noble and honorable and good, and Trystan is VERY. BAD. And a large portion of the story is set when Trystan is control. I found him pretty much wholly unlikeable and self centered. Even though as the story advances, and he warms to Sanura, he remained to me an unsympathetic character. And Sanura is all that is sweetness and light, which I found kind of hard to believe. She is very likeable, but also reacts completely unrealistically in my opinion. She remains completely calm no matter what, and is as accepting of every horrible action and event that comes her way. I yearned for her to stomp her foot, or be difficult, or show some initiative.
All of that being said, the author does a lovely job of creating an alternate universe, which is very medieval in feel. Her writing style is extremely lyrical and descriptive. The story does flow, it just was one that I didn’t particularly love. My guess is that the story will work for many readers as an unusual fantasy story. If you enjoy fantasy romance and unique settings, this book might work for you. For me, I appreciated the writing style of Ms. Winstead Jones, but struggled to relate to the characters.
*REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ROMANCE NOVEL TV
February 7, 2009
In Jones' Fyne Witches trilogy a pair of twin sons are born to Emperor Sebestyen of Columbyana. Now adults, Emperor Jahn and his moments-younger twin, Prince Alixandyr begin an adventure to find a bride for the Emperor. There is to be a contest, six women of worth from varying lands are to be brought to the palace to be offered the chance to be Empress. Messengers are sent to the far places at the height of the Spring Festival to return with the ladies in time for the Summer Festival where Jahn will choose his bride.
Princess Edlyn of Tryfyn's father is noted to not want his daughter traveling with just anyone so Alix is sent to retrieve her. While at the King of Tryfyn's court the new Queen demands that Alix bring a gift back to the Emperor along with the princess. Painted blue and scantily clad, Sanura is a woman of the Agnese. Gifted with the ability to see into the hearts of those around her she must never be touched by anyone save the man who owns her. One small touch and the blue which covers her skin will mark anyone who dares touch her for death. When Alix hesitates to take the pleasure slave the Queen makes it known she will kill Sanura instead so he takes her with them on their journey.
Through her gift Sanura can see that Alix is a good man, but there is a darkness within him she doesn't understand. His attraction to Sanura goes denied for much of their long journey until his dark side breaks free. When one of their traveling party is murdered and Alix and Sanura are blamed it is his dark side that saves them. But will the darkness ever go away? Can Alix desire and love Sanura without risking his very soul? Can Sanura save Alix from himself?
Fans of Jones' writing will love this first in a new trilogy. It has all the great elements she's come to be known for- epic storytelling, sensuality, strong character development and while she focuses on Sanura and Alix, she still takes time to tell more of the overall story of the trilogy. Tying into her Fyne Witches trilogy and the Children of the Sun trilogy you can enjoy the continued world building. But if you haven't read them, this story can stand alone well enough that you can easily go back and enjoy them later if you like.
My only complaint with this book was how abruptly it ended but due to this being about the Emperor finding a bride too many details of what the future holds for Alix and Sanura would have required giving away the rest of the story. We will just have to wait for 22 Nights (the second book in this trilogy) to find out. I personally can't wait!
Princess Edlyn of Tryfyn's father is noted to not want his daughter traveling with just anyone so Alix is sent to retrieve her. While at the King of Tryfyn's court the new Queen demands that Alix bring a gift back to the Emperor along with the princess. Painted blue and scantily clad, Sanura is a woman of the Agnese. Gifted with the ability to see into the hearts of those around her she must never be touched by anyone save the man who owns her. One small touch and the blue which covers her skin will mark anyone who dares touch her for death. When Alix hesitates to take the pleasure slave the Queen makes it known she will kill Sanura instead so he takes her with them on their journey.
Through her gift Sanura can see that Alix is a good man, but there is a darkness within him she doesn't understand. His attraction to Sanura goes denied for much of their long journey until his dark side breaks free. When one of their traveling party is murdered and Alix and Sanura are blamed it is his dark side that saves them. But will the darkness ever go away? Can Alix desire and love Sanura without risking his very soul? Can Sanura save Alix from himself?
Fans of Jones' writing will love this first in a new trilogy. It has all the great elements she's come to be known for- epic storytelling, sensuality, strong character development and while she focuses on Sanura and Alix, she still takes time to tell more of the overall story of the trilogy. Tying into her Fyne Witches trilogy and the Children of the Sun trilogy you can enjoy the continued world building. But if you haven't read them, this story can stand alone well enough that you can easily go back and enjoy them later if you like.
My only complaint with this book was how abruptly it ended but due to this being about the Emperor finding a bride too many details of what the future holds for Alix and Sanura would have required giving away the rest of the story. We will just have to wait for 22 Nights (the second book in this trilogy) to find out. I personally can't wait!
June 13, 2009
This was a really enjoyable fantasy romance. It takes place within the universe created in a couple of Jones's other series, so I occasionally felt like I was missing some backstory while reading this one, but Jones does a great job of fleshing out the 'verse and the history without degenerating into expository dumps.
The main characters, Prince Alixandyr and Sanura, are both interesting and likable. Alix is much more developed and deep as far as characterization goes; his internal battle between good and his shadow self was really intriguing. Sanura is great, but I feel like Jones just skimmed the surface with her. I get her motivations, but I just wish there had been a bit more.
This book touches on something that I find kind of controversial in romances, the idea of women as possessions. Sanura was born and raised to be a man's prized possession. And while Jones does make sure the reader knows that Alix and eventually Sanura know that ownership of another human being is wrong, there's also a heavy element of sexual/romantic possession in the story. Though he may not own her as a slave, I was still left feeling like he owned her sexually. I won't go any deeper into this, because I can't without spoiling the end, but I'm really on the fence about that. And I like it. I like being torn between feeling uncomfortable and being turned on by it, heh.
I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more of Jones's novels, because I really like her writing style and her solid worldbuilding.
The main characters, Prince Alixandyr and Sanura, are both interesting and likable. Alix is much more developed and deep as far as characterization goes; his internal battle between good and his shadow self was really intriguing. Sanura is great, but I feel like Jones just skimmed the surface with her. I get her motivations, but I just wish there had been a bit more.
This book touches on something that I find kind of controversial in romances, the idea of women as possessions. Sanura was born and raised to be a man's prized possession. And while Jones does make sure the reader knows that Alix and eventually Sanura know that ownership of another human being is wrong, there's also a heavy element of sexual/romantic possession in the story. Though he may not own her as a slave, I was still left feeling like he owned her sexually. I won't go any deeper into this, because I can't without spoiling the end, but I'm really on the fence about that. And I like it. I like being torn between feeling uncomfortable and being turned on by it, heh.
I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more of Jones's novels, because I really like her writing style and her solid worldbuilding.
May 14, 2009
Sanura is destined as a gift for Emperor Jahn, painted blue so that no one can touch her. Escorted by Jahn's brother Alix, Sanura quickly discovers that Alix is harboring a dark secret: a fracture in his soul that could thrust Columbyana into an uproar.
This book got a little too weird for me. I could never quite picture the 'exotic' blue Sanura wore, and the multiple storylines never quite meshed together, and were certainly not resolved. The whole 'two people' thing with Alix/Trystan was really weird, and I didn't like it much. It felt like the person she originally fell in love with never came back ever, which is quite sad.
This book got a little too weird for me. I could never quite picture the 'exotic' blue Sanura wore, and the multiple storylines never quite meshed together, and were certainly not resolved. The whole 'two people' thing with Alix/Trystan was really weird, and I didn't like it much. It felt like the person she originally fell in love with never came back ever, which is quite sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2012
Good book! I was disappointed how easily Sanaura gave in to loving Tryston and Alix both. Even though Tryston is apart of Alix, I still felt she should love and want Alix more. The side story with the princess and the sentinel was almost better than the main story. Seems with most her books that the side stories are more entertaining than the main ones. Can't wait to get back to the Emperor's story. Im not too excited that the second book is more about someone other than the 2 main guys. I just hope that as a side story they include them alot.
August 3, 2013
I was looking forward to reading this book because I liked the small glimpse of Alix we got in jones' last trilogy. I didn't care for his struggle with his dark side and I didn't care for Sanura or whatever her name is.
I also was a little confused to why we needed to see/hear about Verity's story. Maybe the author felt readers needed a more traditional romance thrown in or needed to fill pages. I have no clue but I felt it was unnecessary. I'm still interested in the main story, finding an empress for the emporer!
I also was a little confused to why we needed to see/hear about Verity's story. Maybe the author felt readers needed a more traditional romance thrown in or needed to fill pages. I have no clue but I felt it was unnecessary. I'm still interested in the main story, finding an empress for the emporer!
February 25, 2009
this is the first book in the Emperor's Sons series. This one is about Alixandyr/Tristan, and Sanura, the blue Agnese, or love/sex slave. Untouchable refers to her, as anyone who touches her dies - but that's a stretch, anyone who touches her will be killed by her guards (her blue body paint comes off on whoever touches it). She's meant for the emperor, Alix's brother, but Alix touches her, kidnaps her, fights for her, and basically keeps her.
February 3, 2016
This was actually not a bad book. The characters were really interesting to read, and the drama was on-the-edge. Unfortunately I had a dry patch right in the middle of the story where I kept putting the book to the side, which is why it took a long time to finish. But the end of this book was worth reading through that troublesome part.
What can you expect from this story? Slaves, murder, schizophrenia, twisted characters, denied love, understanding.
What can you expect from this story? Slaves, murder, schizophrenia, twisted characters, denied love, understanding.
January 4, 2015
A cause for celebration: a new series from the author of the Prince trilogy.
For the Emperor of Colymbyana, no bride can compare to Sanura, an exotic slave with the power to see into men’s souls. To touch her brings incredible pleasure—and certain death. Even for his brother, who loves her ardently. This is their story.
March 22, 2010
I love all the books in this series and I love Linda Winstead Jones, but I must say this one is my favorite. I don't know, the story is a little bit more passionate and more intriguing and... I've always had a soft spot for bad boys...
January 8, 2011
This is another bodice ripper from Jones. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. Jones is adept at character and world building and the plot moves along quite well. Overall I enjoyed this book.
July 21, 2011
In the romantic genre, it is difficult to come up with a unique story line but I think this novel accomplishes it. Having a character who cannot be TOUCHED, having another character with a split personality - this was an enjoyable read and I recommend it.
September 20, 2014
It wasn't a bad read but because of certain unresolved issues I had to give it 3 stars. I can only assume the author has plans for a 2nd book to finish the story.
October 7, 2008
It was interesting, the new characters were cunning, sweet and unexpected.
July 31, 2011
Good series.
August 2, 2011
Another great from LWJ. It follows the Fyne Witch and Children of the Sun Trilogies or can be read alone. Can't wait to read the next 2.
November 20, 2012
I was really interested in this book but disppointed in the writting. It´s just not my style and I couldn´t read it till the end, sadly.
March 16, 2014
really like the story...the blue paint reminded me a lot of the Egyptian princess...
June 21, 2014
Decent book. Thought it was strange that the book had to have more than one set of main characters. Was there not enough story to tell with one set?
October 24, 2015
Some slow parts, but also some great suspense. Curious as to how the intrigue will develop. Have to admit it was my favourite part.
Read
September 19, 2008May come back to it later just not that into it.
Read
November 12, 2009I read this one second. I am immersed in this world!
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