East of the Sun
Barri BryanFantasy romance
Available from Whiskey Creek Press
ISBN: 1-59374-581-1
June 2006
| Woodcutter Harold, his wife Greta, and their three beauteous daughters live a poor but loving existence on the edge of a forest. Opal, the eldest, is a musical genius and dreams of a lute to accompany her singing voice. Sable, the middle daughter, is an artist and longs for paints and brushes instead of watercolours. Youngest child Pearl simply dreams of a one-day Prince Charming to carry her away to happily ever after.
One cold night a knock at the door admits a great brown bear who speaks as a human, and offers untold riches for one of the daughters. The older two with their great ambitions refuse; Pearl is willing to sacrifice for her family but fears the lost opportunity to finally find Prince Charming. Pearl finds a world of magical delights and passion, but even that is not enough to completely overcome her submission to familial pressures. She consents to discovering the secret of the dream lover who visits her each night in her new home, and in doing so, counteracts his release from the evil spell cast upon him by his troll stepmother. Barri Bryan puts an enticing spin on the old childhood fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." This erotic version examines ambition vs. self-sacrifice, and family pressure vs. self-determination and independence. Pearl is the most emotionally mature of the family, and develops further during the course of the story. The sensual theme is presented subtly and is tantalising woven into the tale. East of the Sun is excellent bedtime reading from prolific author Barri Bryan.
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Reviewer: Annie |
