Smart Bitches Day: Who says it ain’t still Summer?

My first thought on Summer Devon‘s new erotica novel, Revealing Skills: damn, that cover model looks like Geena Davis. My second thought, experienced while trying to find an image to prove the first thought: damn, there are a lot of topless photos of Geena Davis on the Intertubes!

Here’s the review. Revealing Skills? Loved it. Cue William S. Burroughs’s voice: “I give it five out of five erect penises.” Actually, Burroughs wouldn’t have given it any erect penises, but he could surely have drawled that line with all the gravitas it deserves.

Gilrohan’s a shape-shifter spying for his king. In fesslerat-form, he’s captured by one scullery maid and saved by another — Tabica, a comely slave with the odd ability to understand his squeaks. And that isn’t her only power. Her touch transforms him back into a man, which is convenient, really, since human-fesslerat sex would be an entirely different kind of erotica.

Tabica has all kinds of power, much of it centered in her womb. She’s the vagina dentata of female love interests. Gilrohan recognizes her for what she is: the rarest and most powerful of magicians, an ereshkigal. Her abilities are wild from a lack of childhood training, possibly as dangerous to her as they are to any man foolish enough to bed her. Can Gilrohan rescue Tabica — and himself — from Lord Lerae’s castle, and can he survive the charms of her warm, wet, and fuzzy?

She again lightly stroked his penis, which twitched, delighted by her smallest attention.

Thank God it’s a penis and not a member or a man-shaft or whatever else some of you erotica writers call it.

He groaned and closed his eyes. Her hands traveled up his thighs, rubbed over his belly, lightly caressed his penis. A rustle of cloth—and she stood and pressed herself against him, belly to belly. She drew his face down to hers for a long lazy kiss that almost at once evolved into something more potent.

He fought the dizzying surge of lust. Breaking off their kiss, he managed to hide his befuddlement at their contact—except for the stupidly eager erection.

That’s so true. They are stupidly eager. It doesn’t matter how many years of postgraduate education a fellow has had, an erection never looks intelligent.

Revealing Skills works as erotica, inasmuch as it proved uncomfortable to read this book and put in my time on the gym’s elliptical trainer. But this is Summer Devon we’re talking about, so there’s humor, well drawn characters, and an engaging plot, too. Three gripes (since I’m supposed to be bitching, after all):

• The plot is a wee bit too engaging. Honestly. I found myself skimming the sex scenes to get to the next action scene.
• The editor must have been playing with himself (herself?) during the last half of the book. LOTS of missing words.
• What happens to Lord Lerae? The little rat disappears halfway through the book. I kept expecting him to surface at the most inopportune of moments, but he never does.

Oh, and I dislike being teased. Not unless there’s a chance of relief, anyway, and this tease in the Author’s Note offers no such luck:

Also tucked into the story are the changed names and adulterated plotiline from a 1960s half-hour show.

What names? What plotline? I need to know these things.

Bah!

D.

Walnut, September 17, 2007. Category: Books 'n' Authors, Reviews, Sex, The Fearful Meme.

About Walnut

View all posts by Walnut