Kiss of the Wind

Charlotte Boyett-Compo

Publisher:
Ellora’s Cave

Release Date:
December 2008

Genres:
Fantasy
Erotica

ISBN:
eBook
9781419917226

Bookmark Rating:

Reviewed by
Yosha

Review Posted:
March 2009

In this surprisingly sweet Beauty and the Beast tale, Charlotte Boyett-Campo introduces us to the Storm Lord Aeral and the beauty, Aideyn Bennett.  This story is related to her popular Reapers series, through common characters, but is a stand alone story.   

Lord Aeral has been condemned by the Gods.  He and his twin brother, the Sea Lord, wanted the same woman.  When the Gods intervened to resolve their dispute, Aeral was condemned to live alone in his castle except for the lottery brides forced on him.  The village he protects thinks of him as a horrible beast and the lottery brides as a sacrifice to placate him.  With some reason.  All of his past brides have come to a bad end, when faced with making a life their new husband. 

Aideyn Bennett is the newest lottery bride picked to be sent to Lord Aeral, when the plague appears in the village.  Aeral swears she will be safe in his castle, but then the Sea Lord decides to punish him again, through Aideyn.  Aideyn must find a way to break the curse laid on Aeral and to avoid the traps set by the Sea Lord, if she is to have her happily ever after.   

I wonder how someone who has lived with loneliness and tragedy for hundreds of years would cope with is day to day world?  Lord Aeral didn’t – not at first.  Sunk in deep despair, he sees Aideyn through his Viewing Glass, wants her desperately, but knows he can not have her.  He doesn’t want her to come to the same end as all his other brides.  But then the Goddess intervenes, and Aideyn is selected to be his newest bride.  What’s a man to do when faced with such beauty?  Apparently, he’s going to underestimate her strength, until reality slaps him upside the head. 

Aideyn Bennett is a classic fairy tale heroine – she’s beautiful, strong, and perfectly willing to prove to her hero that he’s acting like a fool!  She sweeps into his home like a breath of fresh air and brings love back into Lord Aeral’s world.  Since this is a fairy tale, she has to be tested too – and the Storm Lord is her goad.  He’s determined to punish Aeral for the past, by grinding Aideyn’s face in it.  He too has underestimated Aideyn.  She offers him exactly what he wants … with conditions guaranteed to keep him in line for the rest of his immortal life. 

I didn’t rate t KISS OF THE WIND a perfect 5 Bookmarks, because I found it difficult to follow the interactions between all the Gods.  Who knew there were so many of them waiting in the wings? 

That said, I liked Aideyn Bennett better than almost all the heroines I’ve read about recently.  Any woman who can smile sweetly and bring immortal Gods to their knees is my kind of girl!   

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