Rogue Reviews Digest No. 36 - April 17, 1999


  NOTICE

If you are easily offended, not of the required legal age, or 
material of an erotic nature is illegal where you are, then do not 
read what follows.


  CONTENTS

Mailing List Information

Ratings

Note

Reviews

  "Black Widow" by Miss Behavin'
  "Evidence of Betrayal" by Anne Arbor
  "Getting Wet" by Belfast Bloke
  "How the Frog became a Frog" by The Writer
  "Mousehunt/Dragonslayer" by Beltorion
  "The Shaver III" by Al Steiner
  "To the Victor" by Shon Richards


*****


  MAILING LIST INFORMATION

I send my reviews individually, when I finish them, to the Sex Stories 
Discussion List.  If you are interested in joining there is a form for 
doing so on my home page.

* Home Page - http://www92.pair.com/leevine/rogue-reviews/
* E-Mail - santiago@switchboardmail.com


*****


  RATINGS

Part 1.  OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS

SCORE = AROUSAL SCORE + STORY SCORE

AROUSAL SCORE

0  Not
1  Barely
2  A Little
3  Somewhat
4  Very
5  Extremely

STORY SCORE

0  This barely resembles a story
1  Definitely lacking, but its possible it has a redeeming quality
2  Effort is evident, but I have some problems with this story
3  Nothing exceptional, but on the other hand there are no major flaws
4  Well crafted, but is missing something, or something does not work entirely
5  Beautifully crafted, it does not seem to be missing anything


Part 2.  SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS

Not Good = This was a waste of my time, don't bother reading it

Good = This is a good attempt, but I don't recommend it

Very Good = If you have the time or like this variety of story then I 
recommend this story, otherwise I would go with something that I rate 
as Excellent or Outstanding

Excellent = I recommend that you read this story, and I really liked it, but 
it did not give me the same feeling that an outstanding story does.

Outstanding = This story was not only enjoyable, but it also gave me a 
special feeling that I cannot describe


~~~


Note that there is not necessarily a direct correlation between 
the objective analysis and the subjective analysis.  On the other hand 
the terms objective and subjective as I have used them are relative and 
not absolute terms.  In other words the objective analysis is more objective
than the subjective one, and vice versa.  This new system may not work in 
the long run, but for the moment I am going with it.

This still does not get to one of MichaelD38's criticisms, which is how 
much better is an Outstanding than an Excellent, and Excellent than a 
Very Good, etc.  To be perfectly honest I'm not sure myself.  All I 
know is that I like Outstanding stories better than Excellent ones, etc.
I have a hard time quantifying "like", or "love" for that matter.  I 
can tell you if I liked something better than something else.  I can 
tell you why I did.  I can't put on a number on it however and say that 
I liked it 20% more or twice as much.  That just does not work for me.


BTW you may have noticed that I have dropped Grudgingly Good from my 
rating system.  That rating really represented a case where I did not 
like a story, but only because I was revolted or disgusted by the subject 
matter.  With the new system I'll just say under the Subjective Analysis 
that a story was Not Good.  The Arousal score is somewhat subjective, so 
that score may suffer, but I think that I can recognize good writing 
even when it revolts me.



*****


  REVIEWS


-----


Rogue Review No. 349 - April 8, 1999

Mousehunt/Dragonslayer by Beltorion

M/F

Length: 5,200 words

Objective Analysis: 9 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Late one night a young man, presumably in his twenties, comes to the
rescue of his neighbor, Julie.  She has a mouse scurrying around her
apartment.  The narrator takes care of the mouse and then, with
Julie's approval, claims his reward.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  I liked the soft touches that author
includes.  They make the story more realistic.  The characters seem
to have more on the brain than just rutting.  I think this makes the
story more arousing.

This is a very well written story.  I like both the characters.  They
seem real and not too far fetched.  The plot is a simple one, but I
liked it.  It flows nicely and has enough twists and turns to make it
an enjoyable read.

This is a fun read.  If you like romantic sex stories, then you'll
probably like this one.  I was impressed by both the quality of the
writing and the nature of the story.  It belongs on my A-list.


  LINKS

Mousehunt/Dragonslayer

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=462304173&fmt=raw


-----


Rogue Review No. 350 - April 10, 1999

Getting Wet by Belfast Bloke

M/F, Teen

Length: 4,900 words

Objective Analysis: 7 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
  Story: 3 (out of 5)
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Good


  SUMMARY

A young man, presumably in his late teens, arrives at his friend's 
house soaking wet.  His friend isn't home, but his friend's 15-year- 
old sister Katie is.  The narrator seems shocked when Katie insists 
that he take off all his clothes in front of her.  Eventually he 
mellows.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  The fact that the narrator seems to 
have some sense of loyalty to his friend made the situation more 
interesting.  Katie's forwardness also made the story more arousing. 

There are things I liked about this story and things I didn't.  I 
liked the plot.  It could probably flow more smoothly, but I still 
liked it. It seems logical enough.  I liked the characters.  They 
seem realistic enough, for the most part.

I did not like the fact that the author did not have a line break or 
an indentation at the beginning of each paragraph.  I also felt that 
the narrator did a bit too much "mind reading" instead of just 
describing how he was feeling or what he saw.  There is also the fact
that the narrator twice takes off his jeans without seeming to put 
them back on after his removes them the first time.  It sounds like a
neat trick, but I think it would have been less distracting if this 
problem had been eliminated in the editing process.

The author is from Ireland, or so he seems to imply by his moniker.  
Some of the vocabulary in the story also leads one to believe that 
the author is from the British Isles.  What I am trying to get at it 
is that there is a good deal of slang and other terms used that most 
Americans are unfamiliar with.  There is nothing wrong with that.  It
probably makes the story more attractive to some people.  Personally,
I struggled with the vocabulary.  The struggle made the story a 
little less fun to read.

I enjoyed reading this story.  If you have an easier time with the 
language then you might like this story more than I did.  I have 
given it a Good, under Subjective Analysis.


  LINKS

Getting Wet

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=455562484&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=455562487&fmt=raw [2/2]

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20592.txt [1/2]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20593.txt [2/2]


-----


Rogue Review No. 351 - April 11, 1999

How the Frog became a Frog by The Writer

M/F, M/F/F

Length: 2,300 words

Objective Analysis: 6 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 3 (out of 5)
  Story: 3 (out of 5)
  Stroke: No

Subjective Analysis: Good


  SUMMARY

This is the story of how the frog became a frog.  He once was a 
human.  It involves sex.


  COMMENTARY

This is a somewhat arousing story.  There are sex scenes in this 
story, but my impression was that the author is trying to tell a 
story that involves sex.  The story seems to come first and the sex 
second.  In other words, it is not a stroke story.

This is a good effort.  It has a plot, which flows a bit too quickly.
It felt rushed.  The characters are nothing exceptional.  They are 
the stock type characters one usually finds in fairy tale.  There is 
a queen, a king, a jester, a witch, etc.  Still, all in all, it is a 
creative story.  The sex serves the plot and not the other way 
around.

This was a fun read for me.  I found myself somewhat aroused, but I 
was more taken in by the plot.  If you are looking for something that
is not a stroke story and enjoy fairy tales, then you might like this
one.  I have given this story a Good under Subjective Analysis.


  LINKS

How the Frog became a Frog

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=461110607&fmt=raw

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20887.txt

Fantasy Erotic Fiction

* http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/3646/


-----


Rogue Review No. 352 - April 13, 1999

The Shaver III by Al Steiner

F/F, F/F/M

Length: 10,000 words

Objective Analysis: 7 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 2 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)
  Stroke: No

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

Jen has her doubts when she goes to a party with Charlie, her sister-
in-law.  Charlie is a firefighter and the party is thrown by some of 
her friends.  Jen, on the other hand, is married and lives a rather 
sheltered life.  Charlie has more in mind than just showing her 
sister-in-law how the other half lives.


  COMMENTARY

If you have not read The Shaver and The Shaver II, then I recommend 
you do so before reading this story.

This story is a little arousing.  It is not replete with descriptions
of sex or arousing situations.  I got the impression that Jen is not 
comfortable in her surroundings; this served to make me equally 
uncomfortable.  I had a hard time getting aroused by the majority of 
this story.

The story itself is well written.  It focuses around Jen and how she 
develops as a character.  It is told through an alcoholic blur.  She 
would rather be somewhere else, but accepting that she isn't she 
tries to make the best of a bad situation.  There is a plot.  It is 
reasonably well paced.  I wish there had been more dialogue in the 
story.  The author does a great job of setting the tone through Jen's
descriptions, but I prefer to be given varying opinions and have to 
pick among them.  What dialogue there is, seems to facilitate the 
plot as much as does Jen's development as a character.

I liked this story, but not because I found it arousing.  This author
has a knack for telling a story from a single perspective.  Internal 
conflicts make a story compelling, but external conflicts can be just
as compelling.  I prefer to see a little of both.  By the way, if you
are looking for stroke material, I advise you look elsewhere.  The 
first two installments of The Shaver resembled stroke stories.  This 
one does not.  I have placed it on my B-list because it is so well 
written.


  LINKS

The Shaver III

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464290773&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464290801&fmt=raw [2/2]


-----


Rogue Review No. 353 - April 14, 1999

Evidence of Betrayal by Anne Arbor

F/M

Length: 1,900 words

Objective Analysis: 9 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)
  Stroke: No

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

Kathy finds evidence that her husband has been unfaithful.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  Kathy frankly admits that she enjoys 
sex and the author does a wonderful job relating Kathy's fond 
memories of sex.  The tone of the story helps to balance out the 
descriptions of sex.

This is well written.  Kathy develops as a character concurrently 
with the exposition of the plot.  Both are nicely paced.  I enjoyed 
the twists and turns that the story takes.  It is beautifully done.  
The details that the author includes made it feel very realistic.  
This is not stroke material.

This story drew me in because it is well written and because I found 
it very arousing.  Personally, I would have preferred something a bit
longer and more involved.  That is my personal preference.  This 
story works at this length.  I have given it a Very Good, under 
Subjective Analysis.


  LINKS

Evidence of Betrayal

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=324524108&fmt=raw

Anne Arbor's Sandbox

* http://members.tripod.com/~AnneArbor/


-----


Rogue Review No. 354 - April 15, 1999

To the Victor by Shon Richards

M/F

Length: 8,000 words

Objective Analysis: 6.5 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 3/5
  Plot and Characters: 2/5
  Editing: 5/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Not Good


  SUMMARY

A bunch of guys, who recently graduated from high school, bowl 
together for the last time, before taking off for college.  To make 
the evening a little more interesting one of the guys hires an 
escort.  She goes to the victor.


  COMMENTARY

This is a somewhat arousing story.  The author does a decent job with
the sex scenes.  Unfortunately, the plot and characters do not 
measure up to the sex scenes.  The result is that in my eyes there 
was a lack of balance in the story.

I had some problems with this story.  On the up side, the plot isn't 
too complex.  On the down side, the characters are a bit lacking.  
They seemed too simplistic; more types, than actual people.  The 
action of the story is also a bit choppy.  The key elements are 
there, but they seem to need further refinement.

Well, I'm not too crazy about this story.  The plot and the 
characters were not compelling enough to catch my interest.  In the 
final analysis it seems that the story was lacking.  If the plot 
sounds like one that might interest you and you aren't as picky as I 
am when it comes to plot and characters, then you may like this 
story.  I have given it a Not Good.


  LINKS

To the Victor

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=466028998&fmt=raw


-----


Rogue Review No. 355 - April 16, 1999

Black Widow by Miss Behavin'

F/M, F/M/M

Length: 11,000 words

Objective Analysis: 9 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 5/5
  Plot and Characters: 3/5
  Editing: 5/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Valerie, the black widow, is on the prowl.  Her intended prey is 
Randy, an accountant.  Just when Valerie is ready to pounce, Steve, 
a friend of Randy's, conveniently enters the story.  Momentarily, 
Valerie the Fearless hesitates before...


  COMMENTARY

This is an extremely arousing story.  The author does a nice job of 
building up to the sex.  In particular, I was rather aroused by 
Valerie's lack of inhibitions, when it comes to sex.  There is 
something to be said for the author's ability to describe sex scenes,
both graphically and emotionally.

This is a well written story.  More time is spent on characters than 
on plot.  The point of view is tossed around like a hot potato.  
Often, the focus shifts every other paragraph.  Distinguishing 
between Steve and Randy becomes a challenge, especially during the 
menage-a-trois.

My biggest gripe with this story is the ending.  It is moralistic and
unnecessary.  It gave me the impression that the author was trying to
blame her characters' actions on a higher power.  Maybe I'm reading 
too much into the ending, but the bottom line is that I didn't care 
for it.

There may not be much to the plot and the characters don't seem to 
have much reason to live, other than sex, but I certainly enjoyed 
this story.  It was extremely arousing, well enough conceived and 
very well edited.  I have given it an Excellent under Subjective 
Analysis.


  LINKS

Erotic Stories by Miss Behavin'

* http://over.to/missbehavin/


*****


4/17/99