|
Return To the Celestial Review (This does NOT open a new window) Return To the Index (This does NOT open a new window) Note, to make reading multi-part stories easier, story links (links with dejanews.com or www.qz.to, NOT the review or profile links) will open up a new browser window. When you are done reading the story, or section of the story simply CLOSE the story window. |
|
* "Princess's Court" by Plainman (romance & adultery)
10, 10, 10
* "Princess's Court" by Plainman (an701930@anon.penet.fi). These seven stories are interconnected to such an extent that I do not want to review them separately. It IS reasonable to read one story, then stop, then read the next a few days later. However, I don't think it would be a good idea to read story 7, then 1, then 4, etc. The proper order is: 1. Confession 2. Pre-Trial Proceedings 3. Girl Talk 4: Crime Scene 5: Claire 6: Motion to Dismiss 7: Night Court The author describes the series as mainly a married male-female romance, with lots of adultery in the "wife-watching" vein, lots of consensual brother- sister incest, a fair amount of female-female fun, several loss of virginity scenes (in reminiscence), some anal sex, and a threat of fairly harsh consensual (but protested!) punishment that hangs over the whole series and is brought to fruition in the final part. There is no explicit male-male sex, although one character hints of interests in that direction There is also no pedophilia. The adult characters have children, whom they speak of; but they take appropriate care to keep the children away from their sexual activities. Each story consists entirely of dialogue; we have to infer what else is happening. It's like overhearing telephone conversations or listening through a thin wall at a motel. Everything not spoken is left to the imagination. Since the conversations are vivid, the reader's imagination is likely to be busy. Early on we learn that somebody referred to as Princess is married to a man called Trooper. She has been unfaithful while away on a trip. She tells Trooper about her infidelity, and although he seems titillated, he plans to convene something called the Family Court to punish Princess. The other members of the Family Court appear to be David, the sister of Princess who has been sexually active with her in the past, and Judy, the Princess's childhood friend and current sex partner who is apparently intimately involved with David. The interrelationships among these characters become clearer in succeeding stories. Each story reveals its details in interesting ways. For example, in one segment Princess discusses her infidelity with her husband by telephone from an airplane, while she is in danger of being overheard by the people around her. In another segment we hear Dave and Judy making love, talking about their past experiences and integrating fantasies from the past with their present lovemaking. The author uses flashbacks and innuendo to build some really hot images. The series was originally entitled "Family Court," but the author changed the title, in order to distance the story from any suggestion of pedophilia. I see his point; but the change lost something important. The term Family Court occurs in the story, with obvious reference to the trial and punishment administered to Princess. However, a second meaning of "court" (which is not initially evident with the original title) is the group of people who hang around a royal person - as in "the king and his court." As the reader moves through the story, it becomes obvious that this second meaning is also relevant - the Princess is not only SUBJECTED to a court, she also HAS a court. The new title shifts the initial emphasis so far toward the second meaning that it ruins the fun that comes from the insight of discovering this second meaning. If you have any idea what I am talking about, this paragraph may have been interesting. I have a brother and sister and associated in-laws with whom I have never had sex and don't intend to do so. However, I think there is a little bit of the Princess in me; and I truly enjoyed the vicarious experiences I found by eavesdropping on the Princess and her court. On another personal note, I'm still not interested in getting into the punishment and humiliation stuff that Princess gets off on. On the other hand, stories like this help me believe that I really wouldn't be upset if my next-door neighbors were into this kind of thing - as long as I had binoculars. I might even let my kids play with theirs - as long as they didn't have binoculars. This was an excellent, highly creative story. Ratings for "Princess's Court" Athena (technical quality): 10 Venus (plot & character): 10 Celeste (appeal to reviewer): 10 |