Monday, March 26, 2012

Blog Tour Part #1

It is with great pleasure that I welcome Darcy Abriel to the blog today who is on tour promoting her new release Haevyn, the much anticipated second book in her steampunk Humanotica series.

To recap for those unfamiliar with the storyline, the first book, Silver, introduces us to a futuristic empire controlled by humans yet serviced by computers. Mechanical modifications to humans are standard practice and the human science engineers have created a sub culture of quasi people who are part human, part robot; creatures created largely as a form of punishment. These reconstituted humans suffer under the weight of a power mad government. They have lost their former lives and are reduced to slaves or sexbots, only alive to serve the needs of others. We meet one such "humanotic", Entreus, who is the leader of the rebellion and under constant watch by the government who know he is a threat to them. As the leader of the rebels, he is willing and determined to obtain freedom no matter what the cost. Entreus seduces the government minister's favorite toy, a newly minted trinex named Silver. Silver started out human but committed the ultimate sin when she pretended to be male to gain entrance to an exclusive science academy. Her punishment was modification—when we meet her she is equal parts female, male and machine and the property of a dark, secretive, charismatic man named Lel Kesselbaum. Lel is part of the Dominatae, a nobility trained in the erotic art of dominance. He is also a member of the governing party that that controls the dystopian society. Silver has been designed to both give and receive pleasure and her owner has conditioned her to maximize the intensity and duration of sexual ecstasy that make her secretly wonder who is the master and who the slave. Seeking to affect change from within, Entreus bargains his body in a way that rekindles Silver's longing for her own freedom but helping the rebel isn't going to be so easy when she discovers her master's secret—a secret that leave her heart torn between both men and whose consequence could mean death for them all if she makes one step in the wrong direction.

Book 2 continues Entreus' journey. We discover he has moved on. As an expatriate humanotic warrior, he is bound to another exile, a malevolent sorcerer. Despite the bind, he seeks out a woman he watches at a cage fight, drawn to her inexorably in the sex-fueled event. He learns her name is Haevyn Briena and she’s all human and a high ranking officer in the government he wants to bring down. We also meet Haevyn's friend and lover, Grisha, who has plans for them both. It's his intention to bring both his warrior lovers together to heal their scarred souls with a combined passion that he alone cannot provide.

Fighting for justice, Entreus will not rest until the factions that ruined his life are destroyed. Bound by duty, Haevyn’s tormented past refuses to die. Amid ever tangling emotions and a brutal plot to take over the city, the three lovers walk a tightrope that could be severed at any moment. Their love could alter the foundations of their world ... if they survive.

Don’t expect Silver! The book blurb for Haevyn is clever and informative but it’s only a tease—you need to read the book because it’s not a story you’re going to expect by simply gleaning the blurb. The outcome will surprise you.

While the heroine is human in this read, her brother is humanotic so we get an insight into how the blend of human form with machinery and advanced technology affects humans. Haevyn, like Silver, is a pivotal character because of her status in the government and appears to become a pawn in Entreus’ game. Entreus’ character is more deeply explored and it’s a delight to see different facets of his personality emerge. His character shadings are nuanced and textured, a mark of a good writer.

This book is 4 star material, a brilliant must-read. I was blown away with the story and the fascinating world Darcy has created. I urge you to check out Darcy’s website for more on this series which details the mythology of her world, however I warn you the website is a work in progress. I’m hooked; I can’t get enough of this amazing series and hope it’s not too long before we get another addition to it. If you love erotica, adventure, scifi and nail biting drama, you need to try this series. You will not be disappointed.

Darcy has kindly offered one lucky follower a chance to win her first book in this series, Silver. One lucky international follower will get it in ebook form while a USA based follower will be provided a paperback edition signed by the author herself. So what are you waiting for? Toss your chances into the ring and enter the contest. You just might win.

1 comments:

Fedora said...

Wooot! Thanks for the intro!

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