Epithymy

The Duskriven Chronicles #1

by T.D. Cloud, Y. Dan (Illustrator)

Khouri Lucifin lived a pampered life beneath the earth in the Duskriven. He had a noble-born lover who tended to his every need, and a place to belong in a city that wasn’t kind to half-Drow. But, a bird in a gilded cage is still a bird in a cage, and when he saw the opportunity to escape before him, he grasped it with eager hands. From humans who want to kill him to Sorin, the gruff, surly bounty hunter he hired to protect him, Khouri finds that navigating the pitfalls of surface life isn’t as easy as he had hoped it to be. Sorin is just plain rude, but he has his charms and good moments, and when he agrees to train Khouri in the art of bounty hunting, their travels turn more heated than Sorin ever intended them to become. But when Khouri realizes that Navidae, his Drow lover from the Duskriven, has placed a bounty on his head in hopes of bringing him back to their bed one way or another, Khouri is met with the challenge of balancing his old lover with his newfound partner, and all that may yet lie unspoken between himself and Sorin. Betrayal, heartache, and working through a half-century’s old romance of dominance and submission are more than daunting. Balancing Sorin’s possessive nature with Navidae’s long-held claim is even more so. Khouri, though, is up to the challenge. Because when it all comes down to it, why can’t a Drow have both?

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, M M Romance, Romance

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2017

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the world and how easy it was to imagine. I even liked the characters more or less.

I did NOT like their dynamic by the end. At all. I didn’t like how uneven everything was. I don’t know if Khouri thinks he treats Sorin well, but he doesn’t. I can see the appeal of Navi, but he is so self absorbed and controlling it’s annoying at times.

I was not okay with how Navi was basically the “real” lover and Sorin was relegated to the other guy who gets to borrow Khouri. I didn’t like that they basically have an open relationship, so Navi can be obsessive and possessive, but then also fuck other people.

For a while this was a higher rating, but I have to stop thinking about it or their dynamic will make it even lower for me. I hope the next one fixes this crap, but idk if I’ll find out.

[Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epithymy is all around a fun read.

Khouri is great and he’s a lovable brat who really grows on you. Sorin’s a grump but I can’t help but love characters that act tough but who are really softies. Trust me, you’re gonna hate Navidae at first, but just keep reading. These three are great and I love their interactions so much.

There’s miscommunication in this story, and honestly, it’s done much better than the miscommunication you tend to see in romance – hell, in stories in general. It’s the kind of communication that feels like it could really happen in a relationship, especially one involving more than two people. It’s enough to put tension in the story without making you want to pull your hair out and stop reading from the frustration often begot by stories that use miscommunication that is insultingly easy to fix.

Despite being an erotica, the story has a lot of substance, so if you’re worried about this being too story heavy (honestly, though, why would you?) – don’t, because there’s plenty of sex to bide you as well.

If you like having a fantasy set in a similar realm to Dungeons and Dragons yet uniquely its own, with appealing characters and a story that’s more engaging than most erotica, then this book is for you. Even if you don’t or you’re not sure, you might wanna take a look at it anyway.

[Erin Upshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of TD Cloud, and I really enjoyed this book. Khouri is a brat, but a profoundly endearing one, and I like how he relies on his brains more than his brawn. Sorin is a character I immediately liked, because I'm such a sucker for the cold, jaded character who only shows their soft side to their lover. I really, genuinely enjoyed these two.

My biggest issue with this book was that I just didn't like Navidae. He wasn't compelling or sympathetic, and I found myself more on Sorin's side of things where his clingy nature and the fact that he never really came to understand Khouri to be incredibly annoying. I can't really understand why Khouri is so endeared to him, other than the fact that they've been together for so long. I feel that this is a more personal critique though, and I know there is another book in the series, so I'm hoping Navi does some growing up and that I come to like him more in the books to come.

Overall, a fantastic read. I love the world and (most of) the characters, and I plan on picking up the next book in the series soon so I can see where these boys go from here!

[Rocky Valentine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorin is your average human bounty hunter, that is, until he is hired to be an escort (but really partner) of a Drow named Khouli. But even then, Sorin is still just an average bounty hunter and what I read of this book, nothing else really happened. Pretty much the only redeeming quality of this book is the smut. To me the characters just felt pretty flat and Khouli could not shut up about how he has a lover back at home while in the middle of doing business with Sorin. I got about halfway through the book before putting it down and there was like zero plot other than them just walking from place to place and Sorin scolding Khouli that he couldn't go into any of the towns because he was a Drow and get them both in trouble. This just wasn't the book for me.

[Alia-Mael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way T.D. Cloud writes her characters. The three main characters are very different from each other and all relatable for different reasons. It's nice how you think you know Navidae long before he actually shows up... and then you discover you're both right and wrong. Cleverly done!
It's really touching to see that despite all the miscommunication going on and the apparently incompatible wants, the characters are sincerely trying their best for those they appreciate.
We need more books that advocate good communication, and this one manages to do so while being funny and serious, angsty and sexy. I'm glad I read it =)

[Elizabeth King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Epithymy is a high fantasy polyamorous romance novel about a pampered, rather naive kept-lover of a nobleman, who is on the run with a rough and gruff bounty hunter, and the relationships he juggles between the two men in his life. I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into it, but it is a fair bit more vanilla than I supposed, despite incorporating some light D/s undercurrents. It’s heavy on the angst and drama though, and reads almost like a fantasy-world soap opera.

Read my full review on my blog: https://rosesbooks.home.blog/2019/11/...

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sexy, digestible romp~. It's a fun read if you're looking for erotic antics. I think the editing could use a bit of work, but ultimately, I very much enjoyed this book. It was a page-turner that kept my attention and delivered in all the sensual aspects. I'm very curious to see where the story goes from here, and how everything will work out in the final installment. I'd recommend this book to those looking for a light, sexual read with enough plot to keep the pacing in check~.

[Sarah Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the lovely read. The characters really grow on you and well the sex scenes are definitely an enjoyment. I am super excited to start the second one soon. I want to see even more of Navi as I feel he will be my favorite~

[L C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up almost exclusively because of the tags, and was not disappointed! The story is lovely and sweet, happy and sad, all at the same time. I cannot wait to read the rest of the authors work!

(Really though, Khouri is a little sh*t and I love him for it)

[Lynn P · Rating 4 out of 5]

really great - check book order

Unfortunate I think I read the books out of order. I missed that book 2 is really a prequel to this one.

I am really enjoying TD Cloud’s books! So happy I found these books. They are unique.

[Kirei · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUCK YEAH BRO

[Cerrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun romp. Wish they negotiated better.

BDSM and polyamory in dark romance is hard. Cloud sets an excellent tone for the story. Overall I have been enjoying the trilogy.

[Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first installment of a fun steamy tale of a possible budding Poly relationship. Admittedly I snatched this up while looking for drow romance content and I’m pretty happy with the results. The characters were entertaining, I honestly liked Navidae, though I did feel he needed more depth but I hope that will be explored more in the second book. As for Sorin and the ever sought after Khouri, I enjoyed their back and forth. Honestly a fun read, I recommend if you want something with lots of spice.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really bad at reviews but I really enjoyed this book.

In this book you meet Khouri and Sorin and follow them along on their adventures. Navidae, Khouri's lover, is mentioned on numerous occasions but there's not much actually known about him. With drama, suspense and interesting characters, this book is an all around good book to read. I can't wait to see what book two has in store.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

i dont tend to read eroticas. most of the time they fall into the realm of smut for the sake of smut with no substance or depth to the characters beyond the fact that theyre supposed to be attractive with that being their defining characteristic.

epithymy just goes to show me why i love cloud as a writer. they changed my mind on what an erotica could and should be. i had so much fun with this book. so much. khouri is hilarious and responds so realistically to everything that happens to him, and i found him so relatable as a woman in how he deals with unwanted attention and the stigma attached to being what he is. sorin too is the perfect counterpart to this. hes so woefully out of his depth throughout this but he never lets himself dip below the water, and that is something you have to commend him on. and navidae. oh my god navidae. i hated him so much at first but cloud really showed us a layer of depth to her characters i dont think ill ever find elsewhere. navidae was so wonderfully indicative of how fun it can be to write drow without resorting to cliche drow tropes the fantasy genre is so quick to offer up. all of them came together in such a good way and im so excited for the sequel to see more of how they play off each other. definitely give this book a read! its shocking to me how few people seem to be talking about this book because it can and should be a hallmark to how we judge erotica titles, and polyamory titles too.

this is definitely an undiscovered gem well worth picking up!

[Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensual, dark and mysterious. There's a lot of depth to this piece of erotica although it has a lot of amazing sex scenes as well. Khouri is hilarious, cunning, and does what he wants which makes for quite a wild ride. His relationship with the other two men is interesting to see how different each of them are with him. I really enjoyed the variety of each character's personality, you can get a sense of who they are, with all their habits, interests and human(and drow) flaws peeking through. There are many little rich details to drink up while the story gets more tense as time goes on, and seeing how everything play out and might play out is well worth the read!