A thread in most of Ms. Boyett-Compo's work is her signature vampire culture known as Reapers, who are thus because of a parasite. I have long said that Charlotte Boyett-Compo is the master of the tormented hero--none of whom ever want the parasite and all of whom are set in societies, which alternately revere and victimize reapers. Always talking about her delicious heroes, I may have short-changed her, because she has a pretty deft hand with the tormented heroine too. In any case, the path of true love never does run smooth, and in Desire's Sirocco, our poor protagonists are in for a very bumpy ride.

One thing Boyett-Compo's stories never lack is angst.

Desire's Sirocco is set in a feudalistic style society garlanded with magic, telepathy, and mysterious noble warriors cloistered inside a forbidden keep. There is an almost conventional beginning to this unusual story: since this is an erotic romance, of course these warriors need women--and to that end, they have a "trainer" who procures and "trains" the potential consorts who are brought to their order. Into this ritual-laden society the orphaned Jameela comes when she is purchased by Lord Dagan, the trainer. She is an insecure neophyte made further vulnerable by the nastiness of one of the nobel's chief advisors. Lord Dagan is beautiful, manly, powerful and is developing feelings for his student. But he has one major major problem. Did I mention that he has one seriously major absolutely insurmountable problem?

More than one, actually. After you savor the very erotic dish served up at the beginning (delivered almost as an appetizer to the story), there's actually a fantasy novel to read. There are a host of mysteries at work in the conclave, and no sooner do you think you have one of them figured out then something else comes up. The first solution to what you think is going on isn't what you think, and neither is the second, and so on. Thanks yet again to Ms. Boyett-Compo for a spicy, dependable page-turner with more twists than an erotic pretzel. Her entry into the Ellora's Cave elite collection of authors is going to be a major "windfall" for all of her devoted readers. A great read.

Reviewed By Maitresse
© March 2005