In fairy tales, foxes are said to be possessed by demonic spirits – but especially fox masks. Rusty is a professional costumer with an exotic black fox mask that he’d created after a strange accident in the woods his senior year in high school -- an accident that left an odd scar on his throat. An accident he can’t remember. As far as Rusty’s concerned, what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him. A gorgeous young actor with the same face from Rusty’s most erotic dreams, walks into Rusty’s costume shop claiming tha
Morgan Hawke has been writing erotic fiction since 1998. She has lived in seven states of the US and spent two years in England. She has been an auto mechanic, a security guard, a waitress, a groom in a horse-stable, in the military, a copywriter, a magazine editor, a professional tarot reader, a belly-dancer and a stripper. Her personal area of expertise is the strange and unusual.
3.5 stars This is very much a yaoi-influenced novel which is something I found I enjoy, but I have mixed feelings about this one.
Rusty is a professional costumer, who happens to have a fox mask that he himself made, and a scar on his neck, both of which stem from an event during high school - an event he can't remember. He also is stronger than most men and has vivid dreams about a lover with long platinum blond hair. It isn't until a customer with platinum blond hair, Shiro, comes into his life that he begins to understand what it all means.
Kitsune are fox-spirits who are pranksters, raising mayhem in the lives they touch, so while they are mischievous, they can also be on the mean side. This is very true of this story - and it is this that I have problems with. I normally don't have any problems with this type of thing, as more often than not, it's a form of 'cruel to be kind'. I realize that that is what was supposed to be happening here too, but for me, the strength of care/love just wasn't shown clearly enough to me, leaving me feeling uncomfortable, particularly when it bordered on humiliation, which I definitely don't care for. Other than that area, though, the rest of the story was good, but the result for me was very mixed.
This is a re-read for me, and I'm kinda surprised to find that I didn't really care for the story this time around. I guess my tastes have changed over the years. I found myself cringing during the sex scenes, and I really ended up disliking Rusty. But I do still love the cover art-it's gorgeous!
Rusty is plagued by nightmares and odd happenings around him: he is unable to concentrate on his studies, he is always hungry no matter how much he eats, he sees things and shadows at the edge of his vision, his suddenly increased physical strength is frightening. He can't play sports, he can't lose temper, he can't have sex.
Being unable to confine in anyone, finally at the end of his wits, Rusty pours all of his fears and frustration into creating a fox mask. He immediately feels better. He is finally able to study, finishes a costume design courses and finds a job at a costume store.
===Possible SPOILERS===
Some years later a very strange customer, Shiro, walks in and re-awakens Rusty's nightmares. Immediately Shiro blames Rusty for a number of things: for hiding, for not submitting to Shiro on the spot, for almost killing Des, for ...whatever. It's all Rusty's fault. Shiro is mean about it, too, not just bordering, but going straight into abuse.
Turns out, while in high school, Rusty saved Shiro's life and almost lost his own in the process. Shiro thanked him by turning Rusty into the fox spirit. And that was the end of his gratitude. Shiro makes every attempt to belittle, abuse and humiliate Rusty, to force himself on the boy, while basically calling him an ungrateful little beatch.
Is this BDSM? No. This is abuse. Rusty never gave his consent to be treated the way Shiro treated him. He was not the one to blame for things he had no knowledge or control of, yet Shiro turns on him every chance he gets.
So, let me ask, where was Shiro when Rusty needed him the most? Where was he with his "love"? Why wasn't he supporting Rusty during his transition and explaining it to him, easing Rusty into passing into the world of spirits? The way I see it, unless there is a good explanation, this book is a one star material.
Oh, did I mention terrible editing and immature writing?
PS Tags explanation:
- DS, abuse: there is definitely a DS, but mostly on the abusive side.
- Cinderfella: Poor Rusty, who is a glorified seamstress, is now a consort of a powerful Fox spirit.
- Elemental: Rusty can now control weather. Something else Shiro is pissed at him for, tho the poor chap has no frigging clue about his abilities.
- Non-dubcom: Yeah, I understand that Rusty's dick is hard and interested. But his mouth keeps saying "no" for 5/6th of the book. To me, Shiro forcing himself onto Rusty is a non-con.
I always get excited when I discover books that are touching subjects like monsters and creatures from different cultures.
Japan is a country full of myths for example. And in this case we have the mythological creature of the demon spirit of KITSUNE. Kitsune is the fox in japanese. The tradition associates fox demons with succumbing actions towards humans. Kitsune can possess humans, feed from their feelings, take them as lovers/consorts. Their stories become more interesting when they are described in YAOI books. Books that are basically referring to romantic and/or sexual relationships between two males. The Yaoi book are usually written by female writers and are read by female readers who are in the largest percentage heterosexual.
Ok, enough with the encyclopedia stuff. ..
This particular book contains a story about Rusty and Shiro. Shiro is the fox spirit that Rusty saved from a hunter when they were both children. Rusty got shot instead of Shiro. Shiro did not want Rusty to die and he bit him, transforming him into something not human and tying their lives together.
Rusty grows up, forgets the incident, the bite, the silver fox. He is somehow happy, but something is missing until he meets again Shiro.
Rusty in the whole book is in a dream state. He is never sure when he is awake and when he is dreaming. He is in a way like a male equivalent of Alice in the wonderland. Confused but still curious.
The main settings of the book are definitely appealing: The costume shop where Rusty is working which is full of costumes and strange masks, Falling snow, A japanese theatre, An unknown misty world full of kitsune demons.
What is real? What is an illusion? What is just an excuse?
At least Rusty and Shiro seem to have a good time :-)
Good story. I wish there was a second part to understand better how Rusty was surviving in his new situation.
This one was hard to rate. The world Hawke created was beautiful and the kitsune were very real and magical. Shiro was interesting in his cockiness, but it was also that cockiness that kept him at a distance. I didn't feel anything for him or from him, and that was where the rating took a hit. Shiro claimed to love Rusty, but I didn't get that from him.
Rusty too, claimed to eventually love Shiro, but even though the story was told in his POV I didn't feel the love he claimed to have found.
I did feel the lust -- the sexual tension was definitely hot -- but that was the only emotion I could take away, besides a subdued awe with the world and kitsune magic.
I missed the love connection, and that leaves the story too bare for me personally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Rusty thinks to be a pretty normal guy. Yes, he have some weird feelings and he can't remember something happen when he was in high school, but, apart this, he has a good work as costumer. Ok, he has a strange strenght for a pretty slim and cute guy like him, but he has only to learn to control him... maybe his social life is pretty lonely cause he doesn't trust himself to lose control with other people and sex is a good way to lose all the inhibition.
So when he meets Shiro he is confused: why he feels attraction for this guy? He has never before felt sexual attraction for a guy. Sure Shiro his very handsome, blonde and broad shoulder and pretty pushing, but he has no intention to have sexual intercourse with a man.
But then he discovers that Shiro is not a normal man, he is a fox spirit, a really fox-human kind of being, with flurry ears and beautiful long tail... a bautiful white fox where he himself his a cute red fox. Cause Shiro many years ago has made him into his consort and now that he has found him again, he has no intention to let him go away.
A really interesting story who mixed paranormal romance with oriental myth. Rusty is not the usual uke, he is strong willed and heat tempered, like a true red-head. Shiro is somewhat more cold, white and distant, but very passionate. He is, I think, more young in age than Rusty, but he has an aura of power around him that easily identify him has a leader.
The story is not too short, but sometimes I have the feeling that the author has cut it to stay under a certain lenght... I'd like to read a little more about this two, and maybe have some hints more about the life of Shiro between Rusty's turn and the present time. But regardless, it's a very enjoyable story and sex is playful without being too kinky.
Not much more than an extended novella, but well-done. I'm not a big fan of Japanese anime/manga or folklore, but this has elements of both. I was particularly interested in the bits and pieces of the of the kitsune motif, though I'm not at all qualified to say how accurately they were portrayed. The Yaoi (gay male) and BDSM elements were rather overemphasized for my taste. Still, the writing is colorful and excellent, and the main characters well-drawn. Enough loose ends for a sequel, though I gather none has appeared in the eight years since publication, so probably none will. Note that this contains a lot of graphic sexual description, and I would have put it aside except for my curiosity about the kitsune legends.
Tempestuous was the second M/M book I ever read and it is still one of my favourites. I didn't realize till I had read many M/M authors what I treasure I had found on my very first M/M book buying foray. I bought it because it had Japanese mythological were's in it and I thought that was really interesting.
I couldn't really connect to the characters which is always bad for the enjoment of a book.
Plot is yaoi influenced, strict uke/seme relationship, which annoyed me in this one. The kitsune spirit is manipulative and somewhat mean, which did not help to relate to this character.
A true guilty pleasure. I read this as an ebook and think it's one of the better yaoi novels out there. Yes, some bits are a little cliche but hot characters, a dash of mystery and a dose of the supernatural make this an all around fun read. ^_^
I enjoyed the Japanese fable aspects of this book. It was kinky and cute.
A word of warning - this book only 'sort of' ends, and considering that it was written six years ago, I'm not holding my breath waiting for the sequel.
I really enjoyed this one - read it straight through. It's the first m/m romance-erotica I've ever read, and I thought it was both captivating, erotic and beautiful. Love the paranormal angle too. Highly recommended by me!