Review - The Lords of Satyr: Nicholas

Nicholas
by Elizabeth Amber
Series: The Lords of Satyr, Book 1
Release Date: July 31, 2007

Genre: Erotic Romance

RATING: ★★1/2

HE HAD SWORN TO TAKE A PROPER WIFE.

HE HADN’T BARGAINED ON MEETING HIS MATCH.

Nicholas looks very much like what he is – the handsome, successful heir to a vineyard in Tuscany. But Nicholas is much more, for he is one of the last in an ancient line of satyr men. And the dying kind of ElseWorld wants him not only to marry, but to wed one of the king’s own daughters – a half – human, half – faerie woman unaware of her heritage. Nicholas won’t shirk his duty to produce heirs to guard his race’s legacies, but he never plans to make his bride his only lover. A satyr’s sexual hunger and sensual skills are legendary. One woman will never satisfy him.

Or so Nicholas believes until he meets Jane. As spirited as she is fey, as beautiful as she is innocent, she is nevertheless determined to make her new husband hers alone – and she’s eager for him to teach her every deliciously carnal secret he knows.

REVIEW:

I was curious about this book after I saw a few discussion threads on Shelfari about the abnormalities of the males in this series. (Two penises, really?!) While some were put off by this, me being the sick puppy that I am, I was fascinated. So my curiosity led me to buy the book used on Amazon without really researching it.

I didn’t realize it was set in the early 1800’s. Now I’ve never read historical romances and after reading this book I don’t think I would like them. The reasoning being I don’t care for the time period where women were basically slaves to their husbands. They usually had no choice in whom they marry and that was true in this book. Jane was to marry another man until Nicholas came to bargain for her hand in marriage. Jane didn’t want to marry anyone but she agreed to marry Nicholas because he seemed to be the lesser of two evils.

While reading the first halfway of the book I almost decided to stop reading it. I didn’t like the Nicholas and how when he came to Jane’s bedchamber (yes, bedchamber, again I didn’t care for the time period) for his nightly visits. He would find his release and then leave her to sleep in his own room. But I had to keep reminding myself that was how most men treated their wives in the 1800’s. I kept thinking, this doesn’t feel like a romance story to me. Their relationship was so cold at first it felt more like a business deal.

I did like Jane as the female lead. But as a reflection of the time period Jane is very naïve about what goes on between a man and woman in their bedroom. She did her best to fit in to Nicholas’ household and her role as his wife. But she was lonely since she only saw Nicholas at night for dinner and his nightly visits.

After Jane found out that Nicholas, like many man of that time and social status, had mistresses in addition to her, she was upset. After Nicholas explained to her that there are two different kinds of women, one was the type that men took as mistresses and the other were the kind they married. Jane wanted to learn how to be his mistress so that he would not go to other woman. That’s when the book started getting interesting; if you know what I mean (wiggles eye brows). After Nicholas’ teaching, they became closer and eventually fell in love with one another.

While I was not crazy about time period of the book; I liked the interesting mythological part of the plot. It gave it a paranormal feel that I’m used.

Jane has no idea that she is a mix of Faerie and Human and thinks that she is a freak. Throughout the book she is trying to find a cure for her condition. But once she and Nicholas become closer he tells her of her Faerie heritage and that of his Satyr. There is also a part to the plot that includes a group of maenads that are after the seed of one of the Satyr brothers.

Over all I felt like I would have liked it better if it was set in modern day time. I don’t know that I will continue to read this series.