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Message-ID: <41247asstr$1047633005@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: Crimson Dragon <dcrimsonp@nym.alias.net>
Subject: {ASSM} {REVIEW} {Reviews} Crimson's Top Stories - February 2003
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 04:10:05 -0500
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This was one of the more difficult lists to generate. Narrowing
the array of stories to just six or so? Nearly impossible
this month. Be sure to check out the honourable mention at the 
end.

As always, this top story list is only my opinion of the best stories
posted in the preceding month or so -- it is not based on technical 
merits, or erotic content, but rather my relative personal enjoyment of 
the varying stories presented for whatever reasons. It is not a 
popularity contest or a vote, nor is it a definitive guide. Your tastes 
likely differ from mine.

As always, thanks to all the authors out there for all the stories.

 - Crimson (dcrimson@yahoo.com)

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

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


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                 Crimson's Top Stories - February 2003
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# 1 - Chocolate Covered Cherries: A Valentine Story -- Desdmona 
# 2 - Voluptumancer -- Purple Herald
# 3 - Wicked Lies -- Selena Jardine
# 4 - S'mores -- Souvie
# 5 - Curtain Drawn -- Alexis S. 
# 6 - Fugue -- anais ninja

Honourable Mention:
      The Case of the Chocolate Covered Cherries -- Souvie

+----------------------------------------------------------------------
#1
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chocolate Covered Cherries: A Valentine Story -- Desdmona 
    (MF cheat anal)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40816

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

As I understand it, Desdmona wrote two versions of this story. One
from first person perspective, the other third. I read the first
person account. You'll have to look around for the third person
account, if you are interested, but it's probably on her website
somewhere, or posted to ASSM recently.

First of all, I should mention that I am generally not a fan of anal
nor cheating stories. What the heck am I doing reading and, God
forbid, reviewing this, then? Read on.

You see, our narrator moves through life, facing the same
disappointments that we all do. Stolen boyfriends, torpedoed plans.
Emotional upsets. Our narrator faces them better than most, from the
loss of Ritson Smart in sixth grade, to the loss of Woody Hall in
high school, both to the same girl.  And in University, she doesn't
even have a date for Valentine's day. Well, except maybe, for Alex.

Desdmona has a talent. Despite everything, and all my desires not to
like this story, I couldn't help it. I fell into her characters, and
her story, with no hope of putting it down, or not finishing it. I
felt everything I was supposed to, from the disappointments, to the
caring, to the final sex scenes. This is *not* a typical cheating
anal story.

Did I mention that I don't like cheating anal stories?

And I suspect, that if anyone else had written it, I still wouldn't.

Now, I have absolutely no idea how the third person version holds
up, but I can definitely say that I loved the first person version.
I felt like I was there, living and breathing with the narrator.
It's deep. It's meaningful. It's sexy.  I cared about the
characters. And that's how I like my stories.

Thank you, Des.

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

+----------------------------------------------------------------------
#2
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
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

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#3
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
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

+----------------------------------------------------------------------
#4
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
S'mores -- Souvie
    (MF, oral, food, flash-fic)

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Souvie/www/smores.html
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40656

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

We do what we can with what we've got. Souvie's characters don't
have an open fire, nor quite the correct ingredients. But they make
do. Yes, indeed, they do.

S'more, please.

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

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#5
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
Curtain Drawn -- Alexis S. 
    (MF)

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Alexis_S/www/HIA_cd.htm
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40616

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

Morgan's marriage is falling apart. Anonymous pictures slipped
through her front door that show her husband, Richard, engaged in,
shall we say, another intimate liason sans Morgan. Morgan gathers
her belongings and runs towards an age-old cabin, somewhere
isolated, somewhere safe and familiar.

In the early evening, a noise outside awakens her: a stranger, tall
and dark and handsome, stupidly lost in the wintertime wilderness.
To turn him away would mean certain death. Morgan lets him him into
the warmth of the cabin, and with him, moves beyond her pain.

[ "Who's there?" Morgan shouted {from relative} safety of the cabin. ]

Missing article.

To say that this story is excellent is understating the issue.
Alexis' characters live and breathe, her settings are vibrant,
her symbols subtle and beautiful. From the damning photos to
the ultimate transferal, the Eros is subtle and well executed.
This is what erotica should be. I loved the winter, the
details, and the song of the aurora. You will too.

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


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#6
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fugue -- anais ninja
    (MF mast rom)

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40792

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

He's three thousand miles from her, away on a business trip. She
understands, though she misses him terribly. Sipping at her
Chardonnay, her hands begin to wander.

She's three thousand miles from him, left home while he must face
dreary business meetings. He misses her terribly. Sipping at his
scotch from the mini-bar, his hands begin to wander.

It isn't a simple thing to maintain the beautiful symmetry that
anais has attempted here. Well, not and prevent it from sounding
like a story told twice. Anais somehow holds this together, showing
us two lives forced apart. But still somehow together.  Tickled the
romantic in me.

Very nicely done, anais.

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

+----------------------------------------------------------------------
Honourable Mention
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Case of the Chocolate Covered Cherries -- Souvie
    (no sex, humor, flash fic)

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Souvie/www/cherries.html
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/40875

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

Why do I do this to myself? Given that I'd just finished up with
Desdmona's story about Chocolate Covered Cherries, I was expecting 
some kind of intertwined commentary from Souvie. 

But no. Souvie just *had* to toy with me, didn't she?

Instead of getting a deep, insightful interleaved story, what do
I get? A reporter at the scene of the crime. You see, our
intrepid reporter is doing her job, and bothering the
detective in charge of examining the victim -- a man killed
by chocolate covered cherries. Why is he there? In what
universe is murder committed by chocolate covered cherries????

In Souvie's universe of course.

Seriously. I'm still grinning like a fool, and giggling. The
headlines, Souvie, nearly killed me.

Absolutely loved it. You will too.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   Who Cares?
Character/Plot  :   10  
Crimson         :   10


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