Choices

This book isn't of a genre that I normally read or enjoy. While I am extremely open minded, accepting, and supportive of the homosexual community, I don't find myself enjoying reading this nature of book. With that being said, this book was extremely well written. The author took to detail with the utmost care. The descriptions of everything -- from the countryside to the people and even to the walls of the palaces -- was well done. As I was reading, it was impossible not to envision every last detail of anything going on.
As for the story, wow! I felt almost every emotion possible while reading this story. I found myself to truly care about every character and was full of hatred towards Mukesh. I laughed, cried, and even turned my normal nail-biting habit into something of insanity. Talk about a whirlwind of emotions.
To think that this book is the first by this author seems ridiculous. She has a raw talent for this. I can't wait to see more books by her.

I was absolutely amazed by this book. The characters are interesting, the sex manages to be different enough to not make me want to gloss over it every time, and the plot is interesting.
Teman and Bathasar did feel, to me, like they fell in love a little too fast, but otherwise, this book was amazing. I was very impressed, considering it's the author's first book. I can't wait for more from her.

S L O W is how I would rate the pacing of this book. It drags and drags and drags until all I wanted to do was scream, \"Get on with it already!\" The two main characters are an insta-love couple who automatically do everything right with each other just because. There was very little emotion connected with any of the scenes and I found myself caring very little for the two main characters. Instead, I want to know more about the hinted backstory between the slave master and Darius; or Seth, who, despite being a minor character felt more real than most of the others. On the other hand, the thought of picking up another book by this author makes me cringe. I did find the descriptions of the conditioning interesting and realistic, but did it really need 80 pages? There was so much sex in this book that it had totally lost its appeal by the time the two main characters get together.

Grace R. Duncan’s Choices is a fabulous novel – if you love a beautifully written story with gripping plot, well-developed characters, romance, erotic scenes, and just enough angst, you will find it hard to put this book down! Here are some of the highlights of what is so wonderful about Choices: Plot: This book is a work of erotica. However, unlike in many erotic novels, there is a substantial amount of well-developed, fascinating plot to Choices – and not just about the trials that Bathasar and Teman face in their relationship. The fates of entire kingdoms, the well-being of civilians and nobles alike, are threatened by Mukesh’s instability, and Bathasar, Teman, and their friends are instrumental in working to maintain peace. Characters: We get to know Bathasar and Teman the best out of all the characters, given that it is their story. And how they develop throughout the novel, both individually and as a couple, is wonderful to read. The supporting cast is well-developed, and each person is unique and interesting. Several characters in particular (Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, and Salehi) have enough backstory that is hinted at, that they are worthy of their own novels. Some characters I loved to love (especially Bathasar, Teman, Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, Salehi, Jasim, Jielan, and Kaya), and one in particular I loved to hate (Mukesh, of course). Even minor characters with only a few appearances have enough to them that they don’t feel like cardboard cutouts. Sex: Let me just start with saying – this book is full of very, very hot scenes. And they’re beautifully written. But beyond that, the amount of diversity between the sex scenes in Choices is fantastic. Since Teman (and several of the other characters) are pleasure slaves, and have to undergo training and serve different masters at different points, there are fascinating distinctions between sex for pleasure (sometimes of just one party, sometimes of two or more parties) and sex for love. There are a few extremely brutal scenes – not designed to titillate, but for plot and character development – which Grace handled very well. Also, there is BDSM aplenty in Choices, and it’s quite clear that Grace knows quite well what she's talking about. Emotion: This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride – and it was a delightful one. Depending on what was happening in the story, I whimpered nervously, I squeaked in delight, I giggled, and I actually cried at one point. The last of those does not happen frequently at all. I was so affected because of how much I was able to identify with the characters and their own emotions, which Grace has written so well. Prose: This book is masterfully written. Grace weaves words beautifully, in a style that is a joy to read. The dialogue is natural, and characters have their own voices. Her descriptions of the world of Choices are vivid, and it is clear that she put real effort into researching the time period and setting to make the novel all the more realistic. I wholeheartedly recommend Choices, and look forward to Grace’s future projects...

Grace R. Duncan’s Choices is a fabulous novel – if you love a beautifully written story with gripping plot, well-developed characters, romance, erotic scenes, and just enough angst, you will find it hard to put this book down!
Here are some of the highlights of what is so wonderful about Choices:
Plot:
This book is a work of erotica. However, unlike in many erotic novels, there is a substantial amount of well-developed, fascinating plot to Choices – and not just about the trials that Bathasar and Teman face in their relationship. The fates of entire kingdoms, the well-being of civilians and nobles alike, are threatened by Mukesh’s instability, and Bathasar, Teman, and their friends are instrumental in working to maintain peace.
Characters:
We get to know Bathasar and Teman the best out of all the characters, given that it is their story. And how they develop throughout the novel, both individually and as a couple, is wonderful to read. The supporting cast is well-developed, and each person is unique and interesting. Several characters in particular (Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, and Salehi) have enough backstory that is hinted at, that they are worthy of their own novels. Some characters I loved to love (especially Bathasar, Teman, Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, Salehi, Jasim, Jielan, and Kaya), and one in particular I loved to hate (Mukesh, of course). Even minor characters with only a few appearances have enough to them that they don’t feel like cardboard cutouts.
Sex:
Let me just start with saying – this book is full of very, very hot scenes. And they’re beautifully written. But beyond that, the amount of diversity between the sex scenes in Choices is fantastic. Since Teman (and several of the other characters) are pleasure slaves, and have to undergo training and serve different masters at different points, there are fascinating distinctions between sex for pleasure (sometimes of just one party, sometimes of two or more parties) and sex for love. There are a few extremely brutal scenes – not designed to titillate, but for plot and character development – which Grace handled very well. Also, there is BDSM aplenty in Choices, and it’s quite clear that Grace knows quite well what she's talking about.
Emotion:
This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride – and it was a delightful one. Depending on what was happening in the story, I whimpered nervously, I squeaked in delight, I giggled, and I actually cried at one point. The last of those does not happen frequently at all. I was so affected because of how much I was able to identify with the characters and their own emotions, which Grace has written so well.
Prose:
This book is masterfully written. Grace weaves words beautifully, in a style that is a joy to read. The dialogue is natural, and characters have their own voices. Her descriptions of the world of Choices are vivid, and it is clear that she put real effort into researching the time period and setting to make the novel all the more realistic.
I wholeheartedly recommend Choices, and look forward to Grace’s future projects.