Title: Out of the Fire
Author: Ariel Tachna
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publisher URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-61581-214-1
Genre: [M/M] Contemporary BDSM
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Evan Nichols is, at heart, a happy man. He has a job he enjoys, lives in Boston - a city that suits his temperament, and is a respected Dom in the local BDSM community. When his best friend and fellow Dom, Rhys Calhoun calls from Las Vegas needing his help, Evan drops everything and flies across the country to help. Except, he isn’t certain it’s possible, or that he should get involved. Rhys is the successful owner of Metamorphosis, the only BDSM club in town, and he’s fallen in love with a long-time employee, Takoda Cordier, an abused sub, and Rhys needs help rehabilitating him.
It seems like a situation Rhys should be able to hand on his own, but he can’t. The Dom’s too emotionally involved and upset over what happened to Takoda, a man who wasn’t involved in the BDSM lifestyle. Seeing the man he loves scarred, frightened, uncertain and afraid to leave the house is tearing Rhys apart, leaving him feeling out of control and emotionally ragged. It’s up to Evan to find a way to heal both Takoda and Rhys, while dealing with his own issues of suddenly discovering he wants a sub of his own.
Out of the Fire might be steeped in the BDSM lifestyle but at heart, it’s a story of friendship, trust and recovery. There aren’t many people who would put their life on hold for another person, no matter how good or long the friendship, but that exactly what drew me to Evan’s character in the first place. That even if he thought the situation was impossible; the very fact Rhys called and asked for help…he went.
It was nice seeing bits and pieces of Evan and Rhys’ friendship interjected into the story. Including the information allowed a thorough understanding of just how deep the feelings of the two men went. They’d do pretty much anything for each other…which brings us back to Takoda. The author’s expression of his emotional and physical misery was extremely well done, leaving no doubt how much he’d suffered at the hands of his abusive tormentor. There’s also never any doubt of how much Rhys love him…enough to bring in another man to help him, even if seeing his friend touching Takoda makes him a crazy with jealousy.
There are plenty of sexual scenes with Takoda and Rhys acting as subs to Evan’s Dom, but they never seem out of place in the overall plot of the book. I guess, I mean they never felt like they’d been stuck in just for the sake of sex…if you get my drift.
A nice addition to the plot at the mid-way point was Patrick, the man…the sub, from Boston that Evan couldn’t stop thinking about. Having him speak to Takoda, letting him know what it means to be a sub…from a sub’s point of view was a nice touch. I also appreciated Patrick’s portrayal as a man who liked to be submissive during sex, but who still had a job, opinions and a strong personality outside the bedroom or dungeon.
I liked these four men and would really like it if the author revisited them again sometime in the future…even if it’s only a short.
Author: Ariel Tachna
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publisher URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-61581-214-1
Genre: [M/M] Contemporary BDSM
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Evan Nichols is, at heart, a happy man. He has a job he enjoys, lives in Boston - a city that suits his temperament, and is a respected Dom in the local BDSM community. When his best friend and fellow Dom, Rhys Calhoun calls from Las Vegas needing his help, Evan drops everything and flies across the country to help. Except, he isn’t certain it’s possible, or that he should get involved. Rhys is the successful owner of Metamorphosis, the only BDSM club in town, and he’s fallen in love with a long-time employee, Takoda Cordier, an abused sub, and Rhys needs help rehabilitating him.
It seems like a situation Rhys should be able to hand on his own, but he can’t. The Dom’s too emotionally involved and upset over what happened to Takoda, a man who wasn’t involved in the BDSM lifestyle. Seeing the man he loves scarred, frightened, uncertain and afraid to leave the house is tearing Rhys apart, leaving him feeling out of control and emotionally ragged. It’s up to Evan to find a way to heal both Takoda and Rhys, while dealing with his own issues of suddenly discovering he wants a sub of his own.
Out of the Fire might be steeped in the BDSM lifestyle but at heart, it’s a story of friendship, trust and recovery. There aren’t many people who would put their life on hold for another person, no matter how good or long the friendship, but that exactly what drew me to Evan’s character in the first place. That even if he thought the situation was impossible; the very fact Rhys called and asked for help…he went.
It was nice seeing bits and pieces of Evan and Rhys’ friendship interjected into the story. Including the information allowed a thorough understanding of just how deep the feelings of the two men went. They’d do pretty much anything for each other…which brings us back to Takoda. The author’s expression of his emotional and physical misery was extremely well done, leaving no doubt how much he’d suffered at the hands of his abusive tormentor. There’s also never any doubt of how much Rhys love him…enough to bring in another man to help him, even if seeing his friend touching Takoda makes him a crazy with jealousy.
There are plenty of sexual scenes with Takoda and Rhys acting as subs to Evan’s Dom, but they never seem out of place in the overall plot of the book. I guess, I mean they never felt like they’d been stuck in just for the sake of sex…if you get my drift.
A nice addition to the plot at the mid-way point was Patrick, the man…the sub, from Boston that Evan couldn’t stop thinking about. Having him speak to Takoda, letting him know what it means to be a sub…from a sub’s point of view was a nice touch. I also appreciated Patrick’s portrayal as a man who liked to be submissive during sex, but who still had a job, opinions and a strong personality outside the bedroom or dungeon.
I liked these four men and would really like it if the author revisited them again sometime in the future…even if it’s only a short.
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