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Tales from the Arena #1
Playing for Keeps
Award-winning author Elizabeth Schechter takes us to a faraway world where dominance and submission are far more than a bedroom game.
Rakesh is one of the most skilled of the Collared, the men and women who serve in the Arena to fulfill the unique needs of the super-soldiers known as Swords.
The Swords were genetically altered to be strong, fast, tough, and deadly. But if they don't exercise their aggression regularly, they become a danger to those around them. At the Arena, the Collareds accept what the Swords dish out, whether pleasure or pain.
Virin, a mid-ranking sword, takes Rakesh as his lover and hopes to rise high enough in rank that they may marry. But a storm is brewing. Former Collareds are disappearing, victims of a dark conspiracy of renegade soldiers that conspires to utterly control the nation of Tyrese and destroy all who oppose them. And they have their eyes on Rakesh.
"Elizabeth Schechter fuses diverse genres with such artful subtlety that we barely notice the genius at work before our eyes. Schechter is not only an engaging storyteller, but a perceptive and intelligent observer of the human condition. (Can we say icing on an already tasty cake?)" -- Erotica for the Big Brain
Rakesh is one of the most skilled of the Collared, the men and women who serve in the Arena to fulfill the unique needs of the super-soldiers known as Swords.
The Swords were genetically altered to be strong, fast, tough, and deadly. But if they don't exercise their aggression regularly, they become a danger to those around them. At the Arena, the Collareds accept what the Swords dish out, whether pleasure or pain.
Virin, a mid-ranking sword, takes Rakesh as his lover and hopes to rise high enough in rank that they may marry. But a storm is brewing. Former Collareds are disappearing, victims of a dark conspiracy of renegade soldiers that conspires to utterly control the nation of Tyrese and destroy all who oppose them. And they have their eyes on Rakesh.
"Elizabeth Schechter fuses diverse genres with such artful subtlety that we barely notice the genius at work before our eyes. Schechter is not only an engaging storyteller, but a perceptive and intelligent observer of the human condition. (Can we say icing on an already tasty cake?)" -- Erotica for the Big Brain
- GenresM M Romance
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2013
30 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Schechter
57 books95 followersElizabeth Schechter has been called one of the top erotica and alternative sexuality writers in the world. Her writing credits include the award-winning steampunk erotic romance House of Sable Locks, the science fiction BDSM duology Tales from the Arena, and the Celtic fantasy Princes of Air. Her shorter work has appeared in anthologies edited by D.L King (Carnal Machines), Laura Antoniou (No Safewords), and Cecilia Tan (Jingle Balls_; Like a Prince).
Elizabeth lives in Central Florida with her husband and son, and a most accepting circle of friends who are both very amused and very proud of the pervy, fetish writer in their midst.
Elizabeth lives in Central Florida with her husband and son, and a most accepting circle of friends who are both very amused and very proud of the pervy, fetish writer in their midst.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 11, 2014
Holy crap talk about an emotional ride! It sucked me in right away and stayed up half the night to finish it. It was amazing. The plot was great and there were so many twists and turns. I hope Elizabeth has more in store with this series.
The love between Rakesh and Virin just oozes off the page. They are amazing with one another because they really only see each other. I loved the fact they accepted each other’s nature without question. Virin does everything in his power to protect Rakesh. His strength and focus was amazing. If the person I loved was missing I wouldn’t be able to hold it together. Then in the second half of the book we see Virin show his good heart to the masses. Rakesh is an amazing character because he is always trying to help someone. His heart is huge and in my opinion wore his emotions on his sleeve. Normally I would think that to be a downside but in the end that is what saved him and Virin.
The characters were some of the most developed I have read in a while. I loved the secondary characters and I hope there is a book for Teren and Ayani coming soon. You could feel Rakesk and Virin’s love, and their heartbreak throughout the book. Plus the sex scenes were out of this world. The author wrote with such a descriptiveness that I could see exactly what they were doing in my head. ;) I highly recommend this series because my review doesn’t do it the justice it deserves.
~Special Thank you to the author for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.~
The love between Rakesh and Virin just oozes off the page. They are amazing with one another because they really only see each other. I loved the fact they accepted each other’s nature without question. Virin does everything in his power to protect Rakesh. His strength and focus was amazing. If the person I loved was missing I wouldn’t be able to hold it together. Then in the second half of the book we see Virin show his good heart to the masses. Rakesh is an amazing character because he is always trying to help someone. His heart is huge and in my opinion wore his emotions on his sleeve. Normally I would think that to be a downside but in the end that is what saved him and Virin.
The characters were some of the most developed I have read in a while. I loved the secondary characters and I hope there is a book for Teren and Ayani coming soon. You could feel Rakesk and Virin’s love, and their heartbreak throughout the book. Plus the sex scenes were out of this world. The author wrote with such a descriptiveness that I could see exactly what they were doing in my head. ;) I highly recommend this series because my review doesn’t do it the justice it deserves.
~Special Thank you to the author for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.~
Displaying 1 of 1 review