Title: Visionquest
Author: Laura Tolomei
Published in 2010 by eXasy Books
Genre: Gay, Romance, Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-55487-724-9
Cover Artist: Angela Waters
Other Books by Laura: The Sex: Virtus Saga Book 1, The Game: Virtus Saga: Book 2, The Festival Virtus Saga: Book 3
More Books by Laura: To Seduce a Soulmate, Divinitas, Roman Seduction, Trespassing All Hallows Eve
The village's normally quiet setting has been tainted by a peculiar ravenous beast that roams the land killing all it can get its hands on - Llenio is aware of the beasts existence, and is afraid he might be targeted by the thing due to him being young, but Llenio is also the unfortunate man who has a troubled heart and hopes there is a reason for the horrifying dreams he keeps getting. As the villagers are becoming increasingly afraid of where the beast might strike next, his dreams are so intense, yet in them he remembers what he saw, the bloody trail of marks over the deceased, and gashes around his throat and sexual organs. He never expected to see something like that, and it frightened him so much. His dreams though, are a prelude to an interesting future for him. Llenio and his friend believes that the beast is a raptor as it can drag its prey up trees, but others are not so sure, thinking it a strange composite creature of legend. Llenio is a cautious type who doesn't take anyone at face value. He has a sixth sense that comes in handy when dealing with problems, and is friendly enough, but scared at the beast's presence in the area around Griphonis Castle.
Llenio lives with his father, and his brother, and as they are not making enough money to make ends meet, and his baby sister is terribly ill, and despite the doctor being there, he is unable to do anything for her. Artmos his brother offers to go work in the forests, yet he should be more careful and aware of what lurks there that could take his life in the blink of an eye. His father scolds him for what he says, and ponders what to do, as it may seem their fate is sealed. They can no more afford medical care than more food to eat. Llenio finds out a Seigneuros has come to the village, and he sees him first hand while gathering some wood for his father. The Seigneuros is an impatient and rude man, yet Llenio finds him curiously attractive, especially when he asks him to take the thong from his hair and let it down for him to see. It is unusual for ordinary men like him to emulate the Seigneuros's ways of grooming themselves yet he has done so and incurred the wrath of the man before him, until his father hears of the need for a servant at the castle - and has to let him go as the man has paid a handsome sum for him to leave home and be taken into his care at Gryphonis Castle. Llenio's role in the Seigneuros life is quite amazing to realise as he soon comes to know the source of his dreams, and how he can use his ability to help find and destroy the killer.
The Seigneuros is the sort of man who has had everything in his life his own way, brought up from being nobility, he is already at the top, but on seeing a young man in the forest, Llenio, his idea of noble beauty is questioned as Llenio wears his long hair in the noble style, angering him instantly, yet also making him unable to resist his charm. Under the guise of wanting a plaything he buys Llenio for a hefty price, though what he really wants him for is found out later. He likes the man's spunk, and want for his own life, but he needs him to be put to good use as his servant and his seer as he has the power to destroy evil in all its forms.
The Seigneuros has the chance to rebuild his life with his new mate and Visionario Llenio, but deep down he has to come to terms with the loss of his former Visionario and lover after his death. He doesn't show it much, but he has a dark side as well as a soft side that he shows only to Llenio when they are in the most intimate of moments. He seems to be the sort of person who doesn’t like to just show his nice side to just anyone as his servants have no idea what he is really like and how much he needs someone else to share his skills and different world with.
Visionquest by Laura Tolomei is a real treat for those who like the erotic fantasy genre. The front cover to this book, created by Angela Waters is quite a wonder to behold as she has the lead character, a muscle-bound man, with arms outstretched, wings held high and covered in blood. It is a powerful image, and fans of her work will enjoy the sight. I enjoyed the fact I got to see some interesting character interaction and dialogue from the whole thing.
Visionquest by Laura Tolomei is a mix of romance, period history nicely interweaved, and raunchy sex scenes which are definitely relevant to the story as they are crucial to Llenio's personal development if he is to be able to hone his skills as a Visionario in order to be of maximum use to his master. Llenio proves to be a handful to his new master, but he is also starting to develop a closeness to him he has never felt before with another man. Laura has used her mastery of the written word to weave this memorable fantasy novel full of strong characters, moving dialogue and a running story that contains all the reader needs.
Have enchanted reading,
Sandra
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