A Journey Round a Darker Sun

Rating:
Summary: Compelling..
Review: 'A Journey Round A Darker Sun',is not for you,should you be looking for a clammy furtive quickie of instant gratification, or indeed simply a voyeuristic foray into a cliched world of Domination and Submission,whippings and welts..handcuffs and characters,who merely overpower or capitulate at will, within the first chapter and continue ad nauseum to the end.
There are many alternatives for such appetites..
Simon Lowrie personally took me, on a subtle and cerebral erotic literary journey,lyrically and in prose, where i neither wanted to love nor hate the characters.I was transfixed by them as i realised it felt as though i knew aspects of them intimately, and recognised traits that quite simply 'are',those of people i have known,loved and hated in my own reality.
Such for me at least, was the consumate skill and powers of descriptive foreplay and illustration in this book..
That of plausibility, connection and recognition.
I could neither forsee nor predict the outcomes or intricate twists in the relationships portrayed so very adroitly, between Claire,Tristran and Paul initially; or indeed as they entwined and evolved with the added satellites of Rachel and Beth and the shadow spectres of Sabine and Luke, bygone templates or catalysts for current behaviours..
We are all as we individually are..
We are all unique composites of our own life experiences..
So whether in fact you empathise or indeed detest the individual personalities,the dynamics are compelling,if you will only allow yourself to be transported by the very individual linguistic excellence of Simon's style,to experience such..
to truly journey round that darker sun and be touched by all that your own imagination, heart and soul are open to experience,and as lightly or as deeply as your wish is for them, to be touched and you can allow it.
Sad for you if you are disappointed..
But i wasn't..
This is one journey i will not forget in haste.

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary and erotic novel
Review: A Journey Round A Darker Sun is an extraordinary book. Unlike much erotica, it isn't about sex, it's about people, about their relationships, their power over each other, and why they do what they do.

I don't mean there isn't sex in the book - there is plenty - and it is very erotic. But this is eroticism with class, eroticism for people who think.

Claire is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who is very much in control of her life and her friends, till she meets Paul, handsome, rich, and in need of a beautiful girl to do his bidding.

Tris is hopelessly in love with Claire, will do anything for her, however menial. Yet often, does Claire control him, or does he control her?

And then there's Beth, Claire's lifelong friend. What does she get out of it all, who does she control in the dance of power and love?

But if believable, real and subtly changing relationships are not enough, if you want more than dominance, submission and sex, you will also find treasures in the writing. For much of this book, written in prose of power and clarity, is really poetry, and can affect you, control you in the same way as good poetry.

Yes, A Journey Round A Darker Sun is an extraordinary book full of subtlety and half-hidden treasures. Buy it, read it, and then read it again, or you will miss a treat.

Rating:
Summary: Love it or Hate it?
Review: I can't decide whether I should love this book or hate it. It is a VERY compelling read in psychological submission and humiliation. The lives of the characters become bizzarely intertwined as the book progresses.

The supposed heroine, Claire, is moved slowly but surely toward utter submission to a boringly rich, handsome, and typical Dom figure (Paul). However, I found the whipping boy -- one Tristan, a hanger-on from Claire's youth -- to be a far more interesting study. He moves from friend, to friend-with-favors, to outcast as Claire's universe gradually adjusts to revolve around Paul. It's quite unclear, however, if the ending is a disaster or triumph for poor Tristan, as he seems to find his greatest glory in being mistreated by Claire (and later, Beth).

I was slightly put off when I learned that the characters are all in their early 20's. While this might be believable for naive characters such as Claire and Tristan, it was utterly unbelieavable that Paul could radiate a fully-established identity (one of raw power, sex, and knowledge) at the tender age of 23. While on the surface, he might come across as a "dream" Dom, his sudden rages were a complete turn-off. Furthermore, Paul's motives and background were very poorly explored, and his persona came through as being flat and uninteresting.

Read it, but only so that you can commiserate with me.

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, erotic...i loved it.
Review: i loved this book. Most of what's out there is marginal, at best. What a delicious surprise. Thank you, Simon Lowrie, for the wonderful, highly erotic read.. And now....when is Volume Two expected???

i was drawn in by the characters (most especially Paul, Claire and Rachael) and by the conflicted but steady progression of Claire's submission. Let us remember that this is a novel, a fantasy, the opportunity to wander further than W/we might in reality. As well as being a thoroughly pleasurable read, i found Journey to be rich enough in plot and character development to delightfully stimulate my own mental wanderings.

A marvelous D/s tale. Not it to be missed, particularly by those with an interest in BDSM....a tale of love, pain, service, Dominance, submission, humiliation, bondage (by voice restraint alone) and discipline.

Again, i thank you, Simon.

Rating:
Summary: BORING!
Review: Simon Lowrie is a master at writing erotica for intelligent people, definitely not typical S/M, there are no leather toys, whips, restraints, if you're looking forward to a sexual act on every other page, don't waste your money on this book, you'll be disappointed. Although there are some very hot sexual scenes, most of the D/S takes place on a psychological level using humiliation to control, and involves perspectives from a number of characters, subs & doms both, males & females. Actually, this book is hard to categorize, first and most of all it is a love story told in a style really witty and verbose, also it has the feel of sci-fi or occult fiction, perhaps because the emotional highs in this book are mixed with fear and absolutely removed from the real world. The author's way of comparing people to luminaries and satellites is interesting, some lighter or darker suns with lesser satellites revolving around them who in turn may have satellites of their own.

Claire is a breathtakingly beautiful & shapely young woman, good job, young son, many friends, she is popular with both women and men. Only 22, Claire is somewhat of an airhead and a real tease, used to having men worship her, some like Tristan even willing to clean her house and do her shopping in return for just a glimpse of her bare upper thigh. She meets Paul, handsome, rich, well traveled & well dressed, impressive car, Claire is the envy of all her friends for having caught such a man. Privately, Paul is a sexual dominant, demanding and bossy, who introduces her to a thrilling world of discipline and intense sex such as she's never imagined possible. As Claire submits to Paul, perhaps to seek a sense of balance, her domination of Tristan becomes more overt, and he is trained to serve her needs and those of her friend Bev who participates in Tristan's humiliations.

A rare find in the Erotica selections.

Rating:
Summary: explores the dark side of submission
Review: This book goes beyond the realm of the usual mind-games found within BDSM and into a much darker place. The characters mess with each other simply for the sake of messing with each other. I found myself morbidly fascinated, reading on if only to see what new cruelties could be heaped upon these people by their so-called friends, not out of any sort of enjoyment. The scenes are few and far between - there's much more detail of the mind-games than anything else. I came away disturbed from reading this - it's titled very appropriately.

Rating:
Summary: BORING!
Review: This book is boring and so poorly written. There is some good stuff regarding the relationships of people but if you are looking to get turned on, forget it.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time...
Review: This is kind of like the Emperor's New Clothes. Everyone is saying it's good, so it must be, right? Wrong. I've read 30 books in the last year that were all very much better written than this one. I did keep reading until the end just to see how it ended, but not because it held my interest overall. What a bore. Spend your time and money elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the erotica???
Review: This must have been the most boring book, I've ever read in my life. Sadly the author of this book, KNOWS NOTHING about erotica. This book is not about the content, it's about the LACK of content. He sure knows how to put a reader to sleep though! There is no story and the characters one dimensional, and annoying. There's not a modicum of eroticism in this book at all! I forced myself to read on though, hoping and PRAYING for something interesting to happen, but it never came. The more I read, the angrier and sleepier I got. I finally had to throw it into the trashcan before I wasted any more time. It makes me wonder if I happened to get the wrong book with the cover slapped on it. I'm baffled at the reviews that gave it 5 stars. SAVE YOUR MONEY and buy a different book.

Rating:
Summary: Not your everyday tail tale
Review: You know you're doing something right when reviews range from "bloody brilliant!" to "maximum overdrivel."

First, "Journey" is NOT about characters who show no restraint when it comes to restraint, so look elsewhere for stories in which "hogtie" is a verb. However, those seeking a clever, creative and disarmingly deep inquiry into the d/s process will find much to enjoy here.

Lowrie's style emulates the current British lit flavour popularized by Christopher Brookmyre, Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees and Helen Fielding...snappy repartee, heavy on the slang and popkult references, and inner thoughts a-go-go. If noir is your favorite color, this book's candy-apple metalflake will definitely clash with the dark stuff in your closet.

Unlike so many stemwinders in this genre, "Journey" is a bonafide NOVEL (versus a series of scenes) in which the protagonists are sent on a quest that leads them to learn new things about themselves and the brave new world they've created through their actions. Granted, their solar system isn't going to be everyone's cuppa...strict boy with willing "maid" trains unwilling feisty girl who can't resist crushing lovesick boy who likes it (but maybe not from feisty girl's best girlfriend). But it's the first descent-into-slavery book in memory where the reluctant submissive's journey is portrayed as something other than a kidnapping or the unlocking of a deep, dark secret.

Pants-bulging/dampening erotica it's not. But those looking for a unique peek under the (leather) hood will be amply rewarded.