Alive on the Inside
Angelia Sparrow and Naomi BrooksBDSM
Available from Amber Quill Press
ISBN: 978-1-60272-614-7
December 2009
| Nicholas Harper is the average American gentleman with his respectful manners, church duties, and sweetly innocent fiancé. However, he struggles against unwanted desires and inner demons constantly, carrying within a deep fear that he is damned for longing after things he should not want. However, meeting Torturo, The Pain King, and Phantasmagoria sets him and his constrained feelings free, until he has no other choice than to submit fully to this dark and sensual man. Still, falling prey to Torturo’s blatant eroticism proves to be more than just a journey through self-discovery, love, lust, and pain, for Phantasmagoria is much more than just an alluring and mysterious carnival show.
I have mixed feelings over this book. While I cannot deny Alive on the Inside has many appealing characteristics such as great narration, convincing suspense, and deep and complex characters, it was also very disturbing in many other ways. First of all, the plot is very confusing. I didn't feel Torturo’s story was explained very clearly, and that affected the development of the rest of the story. More importantly, it deranged the portrayal of his relationship with Nick. Then, the whole concept of Phantasmagoria was kind of strange, even if the mystery surrounding it was a plus in this novel. Next, I felt the development of the secondary characters was lacking, and that left the story kind of hollow. Whenever an interesting secondary character, like the twins, appeared, they were overshadowed by something else, leaving the reader wanting more. Moreover, the erotic parts of the book were so full of complicated details that they became overwhelming. Some scenes are in fact so crammed with information that the essential eroticism is missing, leaving behind only a vague sense of turmoil over the content. Even though this book has great potential of being a great paranormal BDSM erotic tale, presently it just doesn’t quite make it.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Athena |
