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Message-ID: <41073asstr$1046304602@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: Crimson Dragon <dcrimsonp@nym.alias.net>
Subject: {ASSM} {REVIEW} {Reviews} Crimson Reviews - #020 - 26-Feb-2003
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 19:10:02 -0500
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Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories,alt.sex.stories.d
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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

"On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with
 the red roses?"

If you are wondering why I didn't review any of the Birthday
Chocolate stories, take heart. I'm hoping to dedicate the next issue
of Crimson Reviews to reviewing all the Chocolate stories. They look
fun. However, given my plan to hibernate next week, the reviews
probably won't appear until mid-March. That goes for the top stories
list for February, too, though I might get the story list out for
Friday.

Occasionally, I get asked how I choose stories to review.
The long explanation is here:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Reviews/www/choose.html

If you'd like get my attention for a review, do as Meme did this
week and use the <*> marker clearly in the subject line. I can't
promise anything, but at least I'll know that a review of the story
is desired.

Have a good week everyone,
 - Crimson

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The missives below are merely opinions, publicly stated, but only 
opinions. Dragons may be immortal, but they are not infallible. Read the 
stories for yourself, and form your own opinions. Then, let the author 
know what you thought. Celeste's blowjob principle isn't smoke in the 
wind.

 - Crimson Dragon (dcrimson@yahoo.com)

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Dragon/www
http://members.tripod.com/files/Authors/Dr/wwwagon_Of_Crimson

Review Archives:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Reviews/www

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the stories contained in these reviews, Rui helps run
the Clitorides, which is a "People's Choice"-type award system
for exceptional erotica. You might want to nominate any story that
tickles you.

Silver: http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Clitorides/www/Silver_Clitorides.htm
Golden: http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Rui_Favorites/www/Clitorides/
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Story Summary:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wicked Lies -- Selena Jardine
    (MF)
    [10,10,10,10]

I Know What You Did -- Katie McN  
    (FF MF NC Blackmail)
    [8,10,8,9]

Another -- Uther Pendragon
    (MF wl rom)
    [10,10,10,9]
    
Cold Spring Indian -- Punchinello
    (F,FM)
    [9,10,9,9]

Possession -- Bluepen
    (MF, Romantic, Cheat, Reluctant)
    [8,10,9,10]

Hausefrau 1946 -- Henrik Larsen 
    (mf rom)
    [8,10,9,10]

SOME HELPING HANDS FOR AMY -- David Shaw
    (M/M/F: non cons;flash)a
    [9,8,6,6]

Flash -- Meme Misspelt 
    (F-solo M-solo voy)
    [10,10,10,10]

Voluptumancer -- Purple Herald
    (MF, F/Nature)
    [10,10,10,10]

Chaisey Long: Rings, 1963 -- Will "Crash" Reuther
    (mf f-1st rom hs)
    [10,10,10,10]

Official Greeting... -- Souvie
    (greeting)
    [10,10,10,10]

Reviews:
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Wicked Lies -- Selena Jardine
    (MF)

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Selena_Jardine/www/WickedLies.htm
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40848

Author's Site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Selena_Jardine/www/

In a pawn shop, a girl with golden eyes arrives. In her hand,
tightly grasped, lie a wedding ring and an engagement ring. The
pawnbroker is steadily experienced, and he appraises the rings --
not quite enough for the girl. And so, she must offer something
else.

Selena's characters and the pacing of the plot fit together
perfectly. The intensity of the story is beyond what we normally see
about these parts. I'm left feeling a little melancholic, and a
little happy. A strange mix, which really only goes to prove that I
cared about these two people that Selena introduced me to.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

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I Know What You Did -- Katie McN  
    (FF MF NC Blackmail)
    
Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40906

Author's Site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Katie_McN/www/

When Laura receives her own pictures, along with a note: "I know
what you did ..." it begins a journey into sex and depravity. You
see, Laura made the mistake of having an affair with Will, and while
she didn't exactly take picture of the sex, she didn't exactly tell
her husband that she was spending the weekend in the country with
Will, either.  Now, if you aren't nervous of obsessed photo
developing clerks, yet, you might be after we meet Susan. Susan
likes Laura, and well, when she sees Laura's pictures of Will and
herself, Susan puts two and two together and comes up with a likely
scenario. "I know what you did ..."

This is a typical blackmail story, where Laura ends up under Susan's
control for a while, making new photographs, and regretting her
dalliance. I understand that this is a spin-off from one of Dryad's
stories. I didn't read Dryad's story, but this story stands on its
own.

There were a few typos, but overall, the story was well written.

Susan tells Laura that she might find it hard to believe, but Susan
is in love with her. Personally, I found it a little hard to
believe, too. Obsessed, maybe, but I think that there might have
been some inconsistency here. Of course, Susan isn't exactly acting
rationally anyway, so perhaps her words aren't all that meaningful.
Maybe I was looking for a little more character here and a little
less sex. But that's the Dragon in me, I suspect.

If you like blackmail stories that aren't all that over the top,
this would be a good choice.

Technical       :    8
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :    8
Crimson         :    9

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Another -- Uther Pendragon
    (MF wl rom)
    
Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Uther_Pendragon/www/story/another.htm

Author's Site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Uther_Pendragon/www/

When Bill asks her to marry him, she is honest. When she got herself
knocked up by Alan, she had no idea that he was going to abandon
her.  When Bill arrives home, after the revelations, he realises
that she never did give him an answer to the proposal. Now, after
Kathy has arrived, and Bill loves the child with all his heart, it
might be time to expand the family. This is their story.

For some reason, I couldn't help focusing on their spoken reasons
for doing as they are. Ours. It seemed somehow to reduce the impact
of the noble gesture that revolves around Kathy. While I understand
the underlying emotions, it simply seemed at odds with the earlier
emotional impacts of the marriage. I couldn't relate, I suppose, but
that isn't entirely Uther's fault. Besides, I still liked the story
- -- it was well written and did what it was supposed to do. The story
is romantic, and loving, and sexy.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :    9

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Cold Spring Indian -- Punchinello
    (F,FM)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40877
  
Other works: 
http://www.pulperotica.com/

When Megan falls down a gully and is left by her friends, she must
fend for herself in a strange, lonely land. Then, when she arrives
back from gathering fruit, she finds a tall, dark, handsome Native
near her makeshift camp. At first, she is frightened, but as his
kindness helps her, they discover that love and comfort can
transcend language and prejudice.

What I liked about this story, even while it was unabashedly pulp
fiction, was the imagery, and the character. It seemed realistic,
the settings, the emotions, the situation. I liked the portrayal of
their relationship despite their differences, and Megan's initial
distrust. It all comes together, if not entirely happily, and forms
an entertaining story set in the old west.

Technical       :    9
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :    9
Crimson         :    9

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Possession -- Bluepen
    (MF, Romantic, Cheat, Reluctant)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40783

Other Works:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/cgi-bin/field_search.cgi?search=bluepen43%40yahoo.com&index=email&submit=Search

"I have to know."

And thus, our heroine is tempted. And so they meet, in a dingy hotel
room, where they will never be caught, except by Bluepen, who tells
us about their encounter through the magic of words.

Who are these people, and what are they doing to themselves?  I
won't promise that Bluepen ever tells us, but in this story, the
journey, and the emotions are what counts, and what makes this piece
utterly enjoyable.

Technical       :    8
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :    9
Crimson         :   10

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hausefrau 1946 -- Henrik Larsen 
    (mf rom)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40917

Author's Site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/henlar/www/

After the German soldiers surrender, Christian leaves Denmark to
tour Germany, a journey of curiosity and education. There, he
discovers pain, destruction and ruins. Except for Sabine, a bright
light amongst a devastated countryside.

[ "My husband is dead. He died two years ago{.}" she replied, more 
  matter of factly than sad. ]

Comma, instead, would have been better.

I'm not sure why, but Henrik likes the word 'was'. There isn't
anything inherently wrong with the use of it, but it was overused to
the point that I noticed it. It's an indication that Henrik is using
too many passive phrases, and some sentence re-work to introduce
variety would help the readability of this piece, especially in the
first half.

[ As I had feared, it was there but apparently I wasn't the only one 
  who wanted to protect him. ]

This could be re-written as:

As I had feared, his name graced the list, someone else protecting
him even before I had the chance.

The second version simply has more immediate impact.

Overall, though, the story is wonderful -- outdoor love in a strange
country, contrasting to the times. Henrik gives us tantalising
subplots that are only hinted at. Oh, how I wanted to know the
freedom girl at the beginning, and even more background on
Christian's activities during the war. But I realise that this story
was written for a themed festival of sorts, and that some focus is
required. Henrik does create a wonderful atmosphere and story here,
and the sex ain't bad either.

Technical       :    8
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :    9
Crimson         :   10

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOME HELPING HANDS FOR AMY -- David Shaw
    (M/M/F: non cons;flash)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40813

Author's Site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/David_Shaw/www/

Amy Palmer is the local bitch at work. When Dirk decides to get
even, he super glues her butt (isn't this a Homer Simpsonism?) to
her bicycle seat. Of course, our pretty priss isn't all that
interested in cycling to a hospital to be unstuck, so our intrepid
revengeurs offer assistance.

Now, this is a flash piece, so I don't expect much in the way of
understanding or character development. The problem is, that it is a
non-consensual piece, and the girl is stuck suffering a humiliating
punishment for which I haven't seen her crime.  All that is offered
is a rather flimsy excuse that she's the office bitch, and a nice
looking one at that. And so, I find it difficult to relate to her
situation and what exactly she did to deserve the treatment to which
she is ultimately subjected.  Worse, I don't really know why her
tormenters are doing as they are -- are they simply cruel, or were
they wronged enough to at least have a plausible reason for
"helping" Amy? On the other hand, I can see it being mighty
difficult to justify the end result here. Perhaps it is better
not to make the attempt.

However, I do recognise that to provide more depth, to give her
character, or her tormenters character, might stretch this beyond
the flash scene that is presented. Personally, I've seen
flash portrayals that still managed to present tons of character,
though admittedly not in a non-consensual environment.

Oh well. What I will say is that it makes a potent sexually charged
scene if this kind of situation pushes your buttons.  David writes
very well technically, and I'm pretty sure that this scene did
almost exactly what he meant it to do.

Technical       :    9
Eros            :    8
Character/Plot  :    6
Crimson         :    6

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Flash -- Meme Misspelt 
    (F-solo M-solo voy)

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/meme_misspelt/www/stories/flash.html
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/41030

Author's site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/meme_misspelt/www/

In a bar, Lee watches as the female bartender bends to retrieve a
bottle of tomato juice. Meanwhile, a male customer surreptitiously
clicks his digital camera, capturing the bartenders perfect behind
forever in flash memory. Later, in anonymous hotel rooms, in the
imagination of Lee, the male customer, the female bartender and Lee
herself all find satisfaction in the stolen images.

Now, I liked this story. It was written in present tense.  That was
slightly distracting, but I didn't notice anywhere that it slipped
into an incorrect tense. I suppose because most of the characters
were unnamed, I had some real trouble keeping straight who I was
seeing. It also made interconnecting the stories, and determining
what was real and what wasn't, difficult. But I have this nagging
feeling that this was the intent of Meme when she wrote it. It's
sort of dreamy, in a way.

I loved the imagery of the piece -- the sex wasn't overboard, even
while it was the focus of the story. The small details, the
discussion of stolen images and sexual gratification combined
nicely. The use of simile and metaphor enhanced the story.

Overall, I think it worked nicely for what it was.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

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Voluptumancer -- Purple Herald
    (MF, F/Nature)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40999

Author's Site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/PurpleHerald/www/

Catalina (oh, how I love that name ...) is a Voluptumancer. We meet
her on a flight where she happily teases the stewards, the other
male passengers, and even the pretty blonde seated beside her.
Quietly, she gathers in energy knowing that she'll need it for the
task ahead of her. What exactly is a Voluptumancer, you ask? Think
witch, crossed with temptress. She's on her way to save a small town
from disaster. Understandably, some of the town council is
sceptical, and some have seen the work of her predecessor and are
more ... accommodating.

So what does Catalina do to tame "Mother" Nature? Well, you'll just
have to read this excellent story to find out, but I promise you, it
is unusual, different, and very, very erotic.

[ She was a pretty blonde who didn't seem to notice that 
  Catalina's {hand on} her thigh.  The blonde was bi-curious, ... ]

"hand rested on her thigh ..." maybe? Or perhaps remove "that".
There were a couple of minor issues such as this, but honestly, in
this case, who cares? They were really minor, and didn't affect my
reading of the tale.

Purple Herald writes wonderful prose. I loved the characters, the
story, the plot, the premise, and the different eroticism.

Definitely worth reading. So why are you still reading this review?

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chaisey Long: Rings, 1963 -- Will "Crash" Reuther
    (mf f-1st rom hs)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40916

Other Works:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/cgi-bin/field_search.cgi?search=ashley42creek%40yahoo.com&index=email&submit=Search

High school is a tumultuous time at the best of times. Chaisey is a
virgin, and on the night of the prom, she exchanges rings with Mike.
A wonderful ritual of decision entails, which ultimately propels the
girl from adolescence into womanhood. This is the story of this
journey.

This tale is set in 1963, presumably, and it shows. I really enjoyed
the glimpses into a time past where life was simpler, but in some
ways, at least as complex. Adolescence never really changes.

In some ways, it celebrates the times, and in others it is a
bittersweet tale of immaturity. I don't know if Chaisey and Mike
stay together, or even if it's right for them, but does it really
matter? This is a peek into their time.

I liked it.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Official Greeting... -- Souvie (posted to ASSD)
    (greeting)

Official Greeting:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=g:thl1452356170d&dq=&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=3e59a4df.14796625%40news.onramp.net

A girl stands at the door, holding it open and greeting the young
and old, welcoming them to our little corner of the 'net. The girl
has raspberry hair, and when she innocently (?!?!?!) adjusts her
stocking, half the crowd faints or has heart attacks.  Pretty cool
trick.

I know it isn't a story, nor was it posted to ASSM, but I nearly
fainted with the rest of 'em, so it deserves note.

Oh, and by the way, I echo the sentiment, even if in a less official
capacity. Welcome everyone.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

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-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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