This is my third tale by Kate Steele and I have loved them all. The Orb of Atrios is a sequel to Chosen Of The Orb, and whereas that book told the tale of the first High Chieftain of all the clans, this story takes place many centuries down the line. Incidentally, the hero of this story is a descendant of the first High Chieftain. You will find out when you read this tale that the ascension is not guaranteed by blood but by warrior skills.

Lealah Redmond is an ordinary woman. She has no family, apart from her best friend Jess, who she considers to be a sister. Nothing about her life would set her apart from anyone else. Lately, however, she has desired more. Though she knows what she pines for goes against everything women have fought to achieve, she cannot help it. She wants a husband, and children. She wants to be a stay at home mom. She desires a man who is strong, who’ll take control in the bedroom, though not in a whips, chains and bondage kind of way. Someone gentle, but firm. Someone who will discipline their children when they need to be disciplined, so that their children are respectful and follow their parents instructions, unlike so many of the tearaways today’s society has produced.

Nothing could have prepared her for what was about to happen. Whilst on a shopping trip with Jess at a local antiques mall, she confesses all to her liberated friend. Jess doesn’t judge her, though it is not a path she would even consider for herself. It is whilst her friend is haggling for an antique headboard and footboard that something happens to Lea, something that will forever change the course of her life. She is presented with an unusual orb at a stall she has wandered into – which promptly dissolves into her hand with, shall we say, some strong physical side effects.

Absolutely bewildered, Lea is left to carry on as though little has happened, for the man who gifted her with the orb has disappeared and there is no evidence that he was even there. It is not until later during a lightening storm that Lea realizes there is more to come. She gets struck by a stray bolt of lightening, then awakens in a forest clearing – stark naked and being stalked by a man-eater. In a foreign dimension she had not even known existed, Lea needs to come to terms with the fact that she has been chosen to be Darien Finn Mal’s tezza (wife), by the Mother Goddess the planet holds sacred. Though she struggles to come to terms with her new course in life, she instinctively realizes that Darien is the man who has haunted her dreams, the type of man she has desired in a husband. Her problem is she doesn’t know him, or his planet’s customs. Lea faces some big decisions, and some drastic changes. Just how will Lea’s life turn out? Will she ever see Earth or Jess again?

Darien Finn Mal has been awaiting the woman the Orb has chosen for his tezza with great impatience. Now she has finally arrived. He can feel it in his gut. The problem is she is at Sheraltz Peak, a mountain-cat-populated area where the cat’s hunting season is in full swing. There is no time to waste. Darien, his brother and his warriors quickly set out, hoping to get to her before a cat. The site that greets Darien is Lea, in all her abundant glory, stuck up a tree. Relieved to see she used her wits to escape the hungry cats, he hurries up the tree to bring her down when it becomes clear she cannot move a muscle.

He thinks his future is set, that all will now flow smoothly into place. He doesn’t take into consideration that Lea is not of his world and doesn’t know or understand why she is there, or what her destiny is. Whilst the chemistry between them is piping hot, their wills and customs clash. Will they be able to settle their differences? Or are their entirely different backgrounds to come between them and the loving relationship they could share? Do they give themselves a chance, or give up with little effort to make things work between them?

I have enjoyed The Orb Of Atrios as much as I enjoyed Chosen By The Orb and Kate’s To Trust A Wolf. Whilst this tale is connected to Chosen By The Orb, they can be read alone or in any order. The history of the Orb is given in this tale, and brief mention is given to the first High Chieftain and his tezza, so you need not read Chosen By The Orb first – though if you are anything like me you’ll want to read them in their chronological order. I don’t know about you, but I have a real bugbear about reading books in their sequence.

Atrios is something of a contradiction, though I have come across such a planet before in my reading. They live very primitively, but their technological advances far surpass those of Earth. They live in comfort, but technology is not something that has changed their lifestyle overly much. Mostly, it is only used for defense purposes, and creature comforts around the home. The men are in charge on Atrios, make no mistake about that, but they are not abusive. Highly protective of their woman, if their children or wives disobey them, particularly when it comes to their safety, they do punish them – so be warned.

The sex in this tale is described in detail. The characters most definitely have no problems in the bedroom, or anywhere else that takes their carnal fancy. The bathing pool, the hall, their suite. Spankings are used for pleasure and punishment. There is anal play and sex. There is even a ménage a trios with a double penetration. Not for everyone, The Orb of Atrios will get your pulse soaring. A fabulous tale, quite long in length, this is a great read and a must for any Steele fan and one that is easy to recommend to anyone who likes a bit of spice in their stories.

As of yet, Ms Steele does not have a coming soon/works in progress page, but I implore her to set one up. Having such a page would be a most worthwhile endeavor. I eagerly await news on the follow up to the first of her stories that I read, To Trust A Wolf, as well as any more books in the Orb Of Atrios line.

Reviewed By Elizabeth
© January 2006