Anfenwick

To be honest, I could barely get through this, but I did, just so I can justifiably explain why I don't like it. I bought the trilogy on special offer, because I was going to be home alone for a week (hey, you know how it is) but in the end I only managed to read the first book, so that's the one I'm reviewing.

1. It really isn't that I had high literary expectations of this book. The most I asked of it was that it should gratify the erotic tastes of heterosexual women. If it had done so, I would have given it four or five stars. Instead, it spent a lot of words on displaying WOMEN as erotic objects and very little on the guys. Short of having a completely narcissistic sexuality, what is this for? Or was it my mistake perhaps - was it really meant for a straight male readership? It sure reads like it.

2. It's really rapey in lots of ways. I really can't understand what forced marriages and unplanned pregnancies would be doing in a book meant for my sexual gratification, but there's more.... Many times, it's really obvious that the women, while turned on, wouldn't choose to have sex at the moment, in this way with that person. Rape is still rape regardless of whether a woman is turned on, as and when she says 'no' for whatever reasons she pleases or no reason at all. And there's more.... The most paranormal thing about the guys is their ability to use mental powers to stop women thinking too much. It works for them exactly like slipping drugs into a girl's drink on a date... More rape, and I don't know when I've ever felt so turned off.

3. It's got an approach to gender roles that's just ugh! The guys do that horrible possessive sexual jealousy thing. It turns me off. They do the dominant male thing. It turns me off. The women do that falling in luuuurve after spending 30 minutes in the company of a guy with muscles. It turns me off. Being dominated makes them feel empowered!!!!! I don't know what to say. Hey, at the end they even get their clothes chosen for them based on what species their guys are....

Obviously, I don't expect everyone to share my tastes and if this stuff turns you on, you go for it. I'm going to hold out till I get something different, if I have to become a nun.