Gift of the Goddess

Anje is a warrior scout on a mission for her people, the Children of the Mother. She has spent months doing reconnaissance in the area on the marauding Hssrda and mapping their placements and movements. Arming the Children with this information is imperative before the raids by their enemy begin.

The Feolin are a slowly dying race. They worship Lufra the goddess of love in all of her forms, one of which is sexual excess. But the goddess has been greatly offended and has cursed them with infertility. Their only hope to lift this curse is to appease the deity with the Great Rite on the Day of the Dark.

A Shaman of Lufra, Brin has been dreaming of a woman in the goddess’ image. Certain that this is a sign, he and Trey, the man he mentored from a child, go in search for Lufra’s Gift. They will need to capture her, prepare her for the ceremony and bring her back to the Feolin. Falling in love was not the intention.

New author Denise Rossetti does a fabulous job in creating a fascinating world, with interesting creatures and characters, compelling relationships and a deity whose laws will be favored by any woman. That women must first offer to the goddess in reaching climax before a man can find satisfaction in the woman’s body is a neat little requirement.

Brin and Trey are sexy heroes who contrast each other wonderfully. The former is the primary male, a giant of a man and dominant in nature balancing the strong but beta second man. It would have been easy to make Brin into a caricature of the alpha hero, but instead we are treated to the vulnerabilities that he keeps hidden as he strives to maintain control in all things. Readers will enjoy the interplay and exchanges between the two men and with Anje.

The heroine is an appealing character. One certainly admires her sense of duty and can understand her concerns for her people. Likewise, it is interesting to watch as her feelings for Brin and Trey grow. However, Anje was less than convincing as the best warrior scout that the Children of the Mother had to offer. She was not shown to fight very capably and we do not see her using much of her said skills as a scout.

The journey of the characters together is not smooth, but that just adds to the excitement of this incredibly erotic romance. If this book does not get you hot and bothered, you need to make sure you still have a pulse.

Readers should be aware that this book contains ménage a trois and m/m scenes.

October 2006