Moonspun by Lee Benoit

TITLE: Moonspun
AUTHOR: Lee Benoit
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 43k)
GENRE: Gay paranormal erotic romance
COST: $5.99

Playwright Jamie Cowan isn’t having the easiest time of it. His writing isn’t flowing, his roommates are making him uncomfortable, and he’s being turned into an errand boy for the theater producing his play. When he picks up an order from the tailor, he meets Spider, the enigmatic, beautiful owner of the shop, and wonders for the first time if he’s met someone he can be with. But Spider has a secret, one he’s never shared with anyone else, and he has no idea how Jamie will react if ever finds out the truth…

I have tremendous respect for this author. While I may not purchase all of her titles, or love everything I read, she’s one of the more literate, intelligent m/m authors I’ve come across in the genre. That makes it harder to admit how much this book just didn’t work for me.

Jamie Cowan is a young budding playwright, recently transplanted from his sheltered upbringing in Maine to Sister City and the first professional production of his work. Life is not what he expected it to be. Though he isn’t out of the closet, he does recognize his desire for a relationship, but finds himself uncomfortable with the blatant displays of his roommates. His writing isn’t flowing, either, so his available time is getting him relegated to errand boy. It’s on one of these errands he meets Spider. Spider owns a tailor shop and is the most beautiful man Jamie has ever seen even if he’s shy and overly polite. Spider’s neighbor, however, overwhelms Jamie. She talks of Santeria and puts a bead bracelet on his wrist, making it very obvious she’s matchmaking between the two young men. Spider is attracted to Jamie, but he has a secret he doesn’t believe anybody will ever understand. When the moon rises, he’s forced to sit at his loom and weave until it sets again. The tapestries he creates seem to foretell a future, but they’re melancholy and dark, at least until Jamie arrives in his life.

It’s obvious almost from the start that the author is attempting to integrate magical realism with genre fiction, in this case, m/m erotic romance. It’s a valiant effort, but I honestly don’t think it ever worked. The dreamy quality that often accompanies magical realism in literary fiction isn’t a natural fit with most faster-paced genre stories, so it has to compensate in other ways in order to draw a reader in. For instance, the characters could sparkle, demanding attention when the action doesn’t supply it, or the prose can be so beautiful, it’s impossible not to savor it. I found neither in this short novel.

Jamie and Spider are both terribly innocent, neither truly comfortable with his sexuality, both relatively ignorant of their chosen professions. Jamie is the country mouse living in the city, and Spider, while knowledgeable in the tools of his trade, has never truly delved into the reasons behind his moon weaving. The latter is actually very typical of magical realism – that which is unexplained is merely accepted as the way it is – and Spider’s attitude toward it, as well as his inability to explain it to anybody’s satisfaction, wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t also weighed down by Jamie’s naivete. It lends a sweetness to their romance, but at the same time, their almost constant passivity regarding each other and the events of their lives is very frustrating. The juxtaposition of Jamie’s more contemporary nature with Spider’s more ethereal one never gels, either, since Jamie’s constant questioning about what is going on jars me from buying into the magic whole-heartedly.

These might not be issues for me if I could bury myself in the prose, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. While there are some beautiful turns of phrase scattered throughout the story (comparing the taste of Spider’s erection as “silvery, like blood and moonlight” still lingers with me), there aren’t nearly enough to lift it above its sluggish pacing or frustrating characterizations. It alternates between reading too contemporary or too ethereal, and doesn’t ever manage to blend the two without leaving the seams exposed.

If I can’t enjoy it for its literary qualities, and I can’t enjoy it for the romance, I’m left not really enjoying it at all. I wanted to. I really did. The beginning showed promise, even if it was slow, because I was so intrigued by the magical journey it hinted at. But I didn’t. I struggled with the last third of the story and finished it very underwhelmed. The author tried, but she’s done better in my opinion. Much better.

Readability	6/10 – The prose isn’t graceful enough to counter the dreamy pacing, turning it into a sluggish read
Hero #1	6/10 – His naivete might add to the story’s texture, but it also slows it down and leaves me frustrated
Hero #2	5/10 – Intriguing but ultimately too passive
Entertainment value	4/10 – Ultimately it failed to engage me as either magical realism or romance
World building	6/10 – Though I can appreciate what I think the author was striving for, the final result is very underwhelming
TOTAL:	27/50

Polyphony: The Two of Cups by Lee Benoit

TITLE: Polyphony: The Two of Cups
AUTHOR: Lee Benoit
PUBLISHER: Torquere
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 22k)
GENRE: Gay ménage fantasy erotic romance
COST: $2.49

With his love finally rescued, Adiun must now fashion a new life for not only himself and Devi, but also their growing band of friends, and friends of friends. They have to learn how to be together again, but Devi is not so sure their two is the right number any more…

Taken literally, the definition of polyphony is the composition or collection of many sounds, as in music with multiple, harmonious voices. That is the effect the author is attempting to attain in this sequel to Master of None, that effect of bringing a lot of different - yet similar - people together, and while the hints of it are there, they aren’t nearly as strongly portrayed as the first story.

This begins not too long after the conclusion of the first story, and Adiun and Matti have to find a new way of living. They have the rescued Devi and Sauda, and there isn’t a damaged one amongst the quartet. There are some interesting dynamics going on here, but the vast majority of it is never explored. Too much is reliant on knowledge of the first story, a weakness that prevails nearly throughout the novella. Devi is very broken from his time in the brothel, but his emotional depths feel only skimmed over. Really, he’s the one the reader should most sympathize with in this, too. For most of the first book, he’s an elusive figure, that shadow in the background that Adiun is always striving toward. He’s the one I was most eager to learn more about, but what I got lacked the depth I’d experienced the first time I was introduced to this world.

Much of the story, in fact, seems sparse in comparison to the richness of the world presented in the first story. While the prose was certainly competent enough, it felt like the author relied too heavily on previous knowledge and instead focused on the immediate here and now of their situation. That’s all well and good, but I’ve read a lot of stories since the first one. It took me quite a long time to recall the details I needed to round out the details provided in this one. To consider this in any way a story that can stand on its own merit, I needed a little bit more than what I got. It feels like there’s a fine balance to be made between providing background exposition and getting on with the present day conflict. I’m afraid, for this reader, that balance was never found. It wasn’t until the epilogue, in fact, that I felt I found the voice that had entranced me with the first story. If only that voice could have been carried throughout the entire novella.

Readability	8/10 – Simple and clean, but not as engaging as I expect from this author
Characterization	6/10 – The story suffers from an inability to stand alone, much of the necessary characterization happened in the first book
Romance	6/10 – It lacks the depths of the previous story until the very end
Entertainment value	6/10 – Disappointing in light of how much I truly enjoyed the first one
World building	6/10 – Too much depends on knowledge from the first book
TOTAL:	32/50

Toy Box: Collar by Lee Benoit, Zoe Nichols & Allison Payne

TITLE: Toy Box: Collar
AUTHOR: Lee Benoit, Zoe Nichols, & Allison Payne
PUBLISHER: Torquere Press
LENGTH: Anthology (roughly 15k)
GENRE: Gay erotic romance
COST: $2.59

A trio of gay erotic romances featuring D/s relationships and a collar.

This anthology of erotic short stories featuring a collar of some sort starts out with “Beloved” by Zoe Nichols. The shortest story in the collection, it’s an interlude between Hohru and his Master, Lucian, as Lucian bestows a new gift upon his slave. There’s really not that much more to it; in fact, I almost thought this was going to be a straight erotica anthology because of this story. The focus is on Hohru pleasuring his Master, and while there are declarations, it just never rose above the erotica for me. That was hot enough, but really, not altogether memorable once it was over.

The second story is Allison Payne’s “Stay.” Chris is a young man obsessed with the collars and leashes at the local pet store, and when he buys a collar on a whim, his older lover decides to take it one step further. The characters are more unique than those in the first short, with a gritty charm that carries what is otherwise a fairly light story. The two men are already in a relationship, but the emotion between them is palpable. Witnessing Chris’ submission to Sam, and Sam’s recognition of what his sub needs, is satisfying. One note, though. Chris refers to Sam as “Daddy” whenever they’re alone and in his thoughts. Though I think it fits perfectly with the characters, some might take offense. So be warned.

Rounding out the anthology is “Master Preston’s Bright Bottom” by Lee Benoit. Paolo is a slave, with an obsession for the Master he had one amazing encounter with. When he has the opportunity to start showing Preston just how he can serve him, Paolo jumps at it. All it takes is time and dedication. Benoit’s story is as long as both the stories preceding it, which means I had far more time to get to know and fall for her two heroes. This one is the strongest romance. Paolo is sweet and determined, while Preston has an appealing world-weariness about him. The two complement each other as the best D/s participants should. Even better, this story feels like a true seduction, as Paolo proves to Preston just how much they need each other.

As a whole, this is definitely one of the better edited Torquere anthologies that I’ve purchased. Benoit’s is the anchor that holds it all together, but the others offer a little something as well.

Readability	8/10 – Surprisingly clean for this publisher, swift and simple
Romance	7/10 – Benoit’s is the only one that feels like a true romance
Characterization	7/10 – Benoit’s story anchors this category.
Entertainment value	7/10 – Each has their own strengths, though Benoit’s is my favorite
World building	7/10 – A variety of settings, though obviously the focus is on the D/s scene than anything else
TOTAL:	36/50

Master of None by Lee Benoit

TITLE: Master of None
AUTHOR: Lee Benoit
PUBLISHER: Torquere Press
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 22k)
GENRE: Gay fantasy romance
COST: $2.49

The death of a lover drives Adiun to take a risk – to leave behind the home he’s known his whole life to go off in search of Devi, the lover who was taken from him the previous autumn. With only the basic skills he’s gathered as a member of his village, he travels to the nearest city where he hooks up with a troupe of acrobats. They take Adiun in, helping him as he searches brothels and those in the slave trade for signs of his love. Along the way, he finally grows up…

Master of None is a story of quiet desolation. Not a romance in the conventional sense, this is more a tale of growth and self-exploration, wrapped up in a let’s-find-my-longlost-boyfriend package. Nearly ¾’s of the story is spent following Adiun on his quest to find Devi, during which time he learns about the outside world, makes new friends, and breaks another heart. This is Adiun’s story. Devi is more of an afterthought.

Adiun starts out the story desperate to find Devi. He’s of little importance to the survival of his village, with no children and no formal role to play, so his venture into the outside world borders on an innocent risk. He’s got nothing to lose, but no idea of what really to do. It isn’t until he hooks up with the group of performers that he starts to find a path, and his growth from that point on explodes. There’s a sweet charm to him as he struggles to fit in, but where the story shines is his growing friendship with Jurn, the juggler. There are others in the troupe who prove more beneficial in aiding Adiun’s quest, but Jurn is the one that riveted me. I spent a good portion of the story hoping the author would surprise me and that Adiun would end up with Jurn, that it would ultimately be about growing up and moving on. I loved the idea that their relationship could deepen into something more, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Adiun loves Devi. End of story.

Perhaps I would have been less disappointed with how it developed if I knew more about Devi. Because he isn’t introduced until nearly the end of the story, I only get Adiun’s adoration for the young man, not any kind of realistic portrait. I’m much more emotionally invested in Jurn at that point, which is perhaps the reason why I wanted him to get Adiun instead. In fact, I spent the last quarter of the story missing Jurn, as Adiun tries to come to grips with the fact that Devi is a different person than the one he knew. Another of the troupe ends up taking over the friendship role in that section, and only the fact that Adiun completes his arc and takes on the mantle of leader keeps me invested in the rest of the story.

Don’t get me wrong. I really liked this story. Adiun was a wonderful protagonist, suitably flawed without feeling phony. I had little problem sinking into the fantasy world the author created, and even less difficulty following the myriad characters around. But what makes the story so good is Adiun and his sense of loss coloring his every move. I ached with him, in spite of never really knowing Devi. I might not have believed the romance of the ending, but I sure as hell believed in him.

Readability	9/10 – Smooth, intelligent prose that manages to convey a great deal in such a short piece
Hero #1	9/10 – The path from innocent to leader is rich and sympathetic.
Hero #2	3/10 – His absence throughout most of the story makes it too hard to get a realistic feel for him.
Entertainment value	8/10 – I’ll admit I would have enjoyed this a lot more if the author had taken a different route with the last fourth of the story, but my appreciation for Adiun makes up for that.
World building	9/10 – In spite of the story’s brevity, the author paints a fantasy world in careful enough detail to make it clear and believable.
TOTAL:	38/50