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Ilavani: Volume 1
From Internationally acclaimed erotic romance author Kaelan Rhywiol comes the first installment in a long-running, science fantasy series based in a queer, pagan, polyamorous, universe.
Maëlcolm is a skilled BDSM trainer, a spy, and unfortunately, a prince.
Cameron is Maël's older brother, titular heir to their father's kingdom and in love with his enby bodyguard, Li.
Kat is a slave. A genetically modified being created for one purpose, and one alone. To please her masters in bed.
Los is a gifted Companion, the only thing that makes him happier than practicing his calling is loving Maël, the one man Los can't have an official relationship with.
If Maël doesn't give up his calling and do as the Ard Righ demands, his family loses everything.
If Cam doesn't do what he needs to do to become worthy of the throne by the Ard Righ's stringent standards, their family may be executed.
If Kat, autistic, touch-averse, and afraid, chooses to fight her fate, she'll die.
When an artificial intelligence named 'the high king' is at the helm, the cost to human hearts may be impossible to bear.
There is an enby/NB character in this who uses xie/xyr/xem pronouns.
Maëlcolm is a skilled BDSM trainer, a spy, and unfortunately, a prince.
Cameron is Maël's older brother, titular heir to their father's kingdom and in love with his enby bodyguard, Li.
Kat is a slave. A genetically modified being created for one purpose, and one alone. To please her masters in bed.
Los is a gifted Companion, the only thing that makes him happier than practicing his calling is loving Maël, the one man Los can't have an official relationship with.
If Maël doesn't give up his calling and do as the Ard Righ demands, his family loses everything.
If Cam doesn't do what he needs to do to become worthy of the throne by the Ard Righ's stringent standards, their family may be executed.
If Kat, autistic, touch-averse, and afraid, chooses to fight her fate, she'll die.
When an artificial intelligence named 'the high king' is at the helm, the cost to human hearts may be impossible to bear.
There is an enby/NB character in this who uses xie/xyr/xem pronouns.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 13, 2017
4 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Kaija Rayne
15 books67 followersKaija/Kai was born and grew up in upstate NY, in the Adirondack mountains.
Xie offers autistic parental guidance via Patreon.
Xie holds a dual B.A. in bioanthropology/forensic chemistry and a dual ABT MST in education/world history. Xie loved University, so holds minors in English, Literary Fiction, Creative Writing, English Lit, Linguistics, Graphic Design, Folklore, Medieval History, and Modern Dance, among others.
Xyr hobbies include gaming, reading, spinning with a spinning wheel, cooking, knitting, sewing, drawing, painting, cartography, graphic design, art, gardening, and making jewellery.
Xyr day job is as an editor. Xie works with Science Fiction, Science Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Gamelit, LITRPG, children's books, and non-fiction.
Xie currently lives in Southern Ontario, Canada with xyr husband of 27 years, their two kids, three cats, and a grumpy rescue chinchilla.
The best place to connect with xyr is by sending an email, on tumblr, or on Bluesky. Xie loves to hear from fans, many of whom have become friends.
Xie offers autistic parental guidance via Patreon.
Xie holds a dual B.A. in bioanthropology/forensic chemistry and a dual ABT MST in education/world history. Xie loved University, so holds minors in English, Literary Fiction, Creative Writing, English Lit, Linguistics, Graphic Design, Folklore, Medieval History, and Modern Dance, among others.
Xyr hobbies include gaming, reading, spinning with a spinning wheel, cooking, knitting, sewing, drawing, painting, cartography, graphic design, art, gardening, and making jewellery.
Xyr day job is as an editor. Xie works with Science Fiction, Science Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Gamelit, LITRPG, children's books, and non-fiction.
Xie currently lives in Southern Ontario, Canada with xyr husband of 27 years, their two kids, three cats, and a grumpy rescue chinchilla.
The best place to connect with xyr is by sending an email, on tumblr, or on Bluesky. Xie loves to hear from fans, many of whom have become friends.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 12, 2017
Great introduction to a series!
The world in Ilavani and those who populate it are intricate and very well developed. Admittedly I was a little confused at the start, but I quickly found my footing and grew increasingly fascinated the more I learned. It’s such a diverse universe with equally interesting politics. It got me thirsty for more.
This book is the type of mature story that I enjoy because it’s relevant to the plot and characters. It has a purpose here. Plus the relationship dynamics are progressive.
I was also impressed with the treatment of gender. It’s not often you see enby characters with respectful use of pronouns (first time I’ve seen xie/xyr written on page).
It’s sets the bar high, guys.
Very much looking forward to the next volume.
The world in Ilavani and those who populate it are intricate and very well developed. Admittedly I was a little confused at the start, but I quickly found my footing and grew increasingly fascinated the more I learned. It’s such a diverse universe with equally interesting politics. It got me thirsty for more.
This book is the type of mature story that I enjoy because it’s relevant to the plot and characters. It has a purpose here. Plus the relationship dynamics are progressive.
I was also impressed with the treatment of gender. It’s not often you see enby characters with respectful use of pronouns (first time I’ve seen xie/xyr written on page).
It’s sets the bar high, guys.
Very much looking forward to the next volume.
June 25, 2017
The queer rep in this is amazing. Actual on the page use of non-binary pronouns and ethical polyamory!
June 30, 2017
It grabbed me hard and fast, and left me begging for more.
While I’ve read stories with erotic content, this is the first time I’ve picked up a book that defines itself as erotica and I’ll admit now that I was a bit afraid. I was afraid it would be hard for me to get through since it isn’t a genre I usually read. I was afraid my family would catch a glimpse of what I was reading and would tease me about it. But mostly I was afraid it would be a text version of mediocre porn: appealing to my hormones but not my mind.
I realized by the second page that I had no reason to worry.
Rhywiol’s world is vibrant, alive, and utterly foreign to me. Xyr descriptions drew me in so I could feel the warmth of the suns, feel the grit of the dust in the air, smell the press of people in the marketplace. I wanted to explore, wander, and learn more of this land and its amazingly varied peoples.
But for all the vibrancy and color in Rhywiol’s world, it’s xyr characters that kept me up way past my bedtime. I was immediately drawn to the interplay between Maël, Cam, and Li, and found myself just as eager to explore them as I was to explore their world. As I was reading I kept wishing I could step through my e-reader and touch them, talk with them, learn from and teach them.
Rhywiol’s writing appeals to all the senses and allowed me to not just read about Ilavani, but to experience it. Format constraints meant the story cut off far too early for my liking, but it means I get to look forward to Volume 2.
While I’ve read stories with erotic content, this is the first time I’ve picked up a book that defines itself as erotica and I’ll admit now that I was a bit afraid. I was afraid it would be hard for me to get through since it isn’t a genre I usually read. I was afraid my family would catch a glimpse of what I was reading and would tease me about it. But mostly I was afraid it would be a text version of mediocre porn: appealing to my hormones but not my mind.
I realized by the second page that I had no reason to worry.
Rhywiol’s world is vibrant, alive, and utterly foreign to me. Xyr descriptions drew me in so I could feel the warmth of the suns, feel the grit of the dust in the air, smell the press of people in the marketplace. I wanted to explore, wander, and learn more of this land and its amazingly varied peoples.
But for all the vibrancy and color in Rhywiol’s world, it’s xyr characters that kept me up way past my bedtime. I was immediately drawn to the interplay between Maël, Cam, and Li, and found myself just as eager to explore them as I was to explore their world. As I was reading I kept wishing I could step through my e-reader and touch them, talk with them, learn from and teach them.
Rhywiol’s writing appeals to all the senses and allowed me to not just read about Ilavani, but to experience it. Format constraints meant the story cut off far too early for my liking, but it means I get to look forward to Volume 2.
June 24, 2017
Rhywiol brings a lot of complexity to her world right from the get go: autistic characters, accurate BDSM lifestyle, polyamory, a whole new alien world with interesting political structures, magic and mystery, intrigue, and... well, lots of steam. ;) It's so COLORFUL -- the cover is accurate, I feel like everything scene was just bursting with it. Her writing was good, I had no problem sinking right into the world, and the pacing was right on. And, like I said, REALLY could see the color.
Rhywiol has a lot of characters here -- each more interesting and complex than the next. Even the "simpler" characters felt real and interesting. I didn't have a problem keeping them straight (and I'm usually iffy about multiple POVs). I can't comment much on the more diverse aspects of the story because I don't belong to the groups represented, but I can say it was fascinating to look into the aspects and get a feel for them (and see what a healthy BDSM relationship looks like!) -- with good rep, as far as I can tell.
There's a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's not bad, you'll survive. This was a VERY interesting beginning to this serial.
Rhywiol has a lot of characters here -- each more interesting and complex than the next. Even the "simpler" characters felt real and interesting. I didn't have a problem keeping them straight (and I'm usually iffy about multiple POVs). I can't comment much on the more diverse aspects of the story because I don't belong to the groups represented, but I can say it was fascinating to look into the aspects and get a feel for them (and see what a healthy BDSM relationship looks like!) -- with good rep, as far as I can tell.
There's a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's not bad, you'll survive. This was a VERY interesting beginning to this serial.
August 29, 2017
Introduction to a delightful cast of interesting characters served up with stellar world building.
Author Rhywiol introduces us to a rich world of monarchs, maleficents and masochists in this, the story's first installment. A grieving father desperately prepares his remaining children to succeed his throne, knowing death will soon claim him also. Brothers Mael and Cam must sacrifice the lives they had fashioned for themselves upon the altar of duty.
Though cognizant their kingdom would erupt into civil war if their father dies without a proper heir, each of the brothers mourn the imminent loss of all they hold dear. For Cam, the consort he has come to care so deeply for. And for Mael, the intrigue of his spy network and the hedonistic pleasures of "companionship". Our author leaves us wanting to know how turbulent their future transition will be, tossing in unknowns bearing names like "Mai" and "Kat"--both delicious in more ways than one.
Author Rhywiol introduces us to a rich world of monarchs, maleficents and masochists in this, the story's first installment. A grieving father desperately prepares his remaining children to succeed his throne, knowing death will soon claim him also. Brothers Mael and Cam must sacrifice the lives they had fashioned for themselves upon the altar of duty.
Though cognizant their kingdom would erupt into civil war if their father dies without a proper heir, each of the brothers mourn the imminent loss of all they hold dear. For Cam, the consort he has come to care so deeply for. And for Mael, the intrigue of his spy network and the hedonistic pleasures of "companionship". Our author leaves us wanting to know how turbulent their future transition will be, tossing in unknowns bearing names like "Mai" and "Kat"--both delicious in more ways than one.
June 27, 2018
Reading this work was a thoroughly enjoyable time. For a relatively short piece, there is a lot going on. If you want something to sit down and read mindlessly, this may not be what you're looking for. There are a lot of characters, terminology, and events that need to be kept track of, but it is well worth the mental effort. We are introduced to a world of many varied characters, with a complex class and guild system. With an ailing Righ (king) and the two youngest sons suddenly in a position of succession they never anticipated, there is so much to look forward to in the following volumes.
April 5, 2019
The beginning of this was kind of hard for me as far as getting a grip on what was happening, but I did end up liking it quite a bit (though for all the things about what some characters were created for, purchased for, what was expected of the sons, I expected more sex--maybe in the next one?)
I liked the alternating POVs, and I think there are a lot of interesting characters and I am going to continue to see where all of this goes.
I liked the alternating POVs, and I think there are a lot of interesting characters and I am going to continue to see where all of this goes.
June 30, 2017
I enjoyed this a lot. Also has rep for enby and autistic chars.
April 29, 2018
Love this series
It’s very hard to find novels that are ‘hot with a plot.’ I’m enjoying this very much. I also love SF.
It’s very hard to find novels that are ‘hot with a plot.’ I’m enjoying this very much. I also love SF.
odio-jarocho-aka-nope
June 4, 2019Nope
dnf
October 12, 2017Fabulous world-building and really wonderful diversity, but too many commas should have been semi-colons and I'd really have preferred to learn about the world - and the characters - through the progression of the story, and not so many info-dumps. Definitely a writer to watch, though: beautifully original, and the writing style itself only needs a little polishing to be exquisite.
maybe
December 26, 2017Free on Instafreebie 12/26/2017
https://www.instafreebie.com/free/JhA...
https://www.instafreebie.com/free/JhA...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews