Review of Seventh Son

Originally posted on the now seemingly defunct Erotic Reviews website

Summary:
Charmaine's getting married to a man, a special man. The seventh son of a seventh son, Padraig is blessed, yet cursed, with ancient powers that combine good and evil. Charmaine has no such gift, but bravely ventures forth to battle for the man she loves. After all, the power of love can overcome anything. Can't it?

Characterisation:
Related in first person narrative by Charmaine, this point of view can sometimes detract from the development of other characters, but this is not the case with 'Seventh Son'. Portrayed as an all-American man with Celtic roots, it soon becomes apparent that Padraig is not all he seems to be on the surface. As she unravels his secrets, Charmaine peels back Padraig's layers and discovers her own reserves of strength and determination in the process. The ant at their picnic -- Padraig's nasty, overbearing mother -- is also stripped to the bone by Charmaine's cunning manipulation. Padraig is perhaps the most complex character in this tale -- I'm still undecided whether he does, in fact, go from the frying pan into the fire.

Imagery:
'Seventh Son' begins deceptively simply but rapidly leads the unsuspecting reader down an erotic yet menacing path. Cheyenne Blue has packed a suprising amount of detail into such a short story, but it is not overly descriptive and it is not overstated. There are many layers to this story, which is enhanced by superb use of both visual and emotive imagery. Padraig's mother will have you shuddering with revulsion, and you will silently cheer Charmaine on as she goes into battle for the man she loves.

Readability:
This is a dark, twisted love story that captures the reader's imagination with every paragraph. Featuring more twists than a bag of pretzels, 'Seventh Son' is a study in love, strength, control and manipulation. Tightly written, each sentence contributes to the whole; there are no wasted words. The story flows well and the spelling, grammar and punctuation are faultless.

We Say:
Cheyenne Blue's erotica has been published in a number of magazines and anthologies, both on-line and printed. Given the quality of her work, this is not surprising. 'Seventh Son' is published exclusively on her site, but there is no reason why this excellent story shouldn't also find its way into an anthology, magazine or e-zine. It's as good as anything else that Cheyenne Blue has written, and we heartily recommend it to lovers of dark, evocative erotica.

Rating (out of five):
*****