Title: The Festival: Virtus Saga Book 3
Author: Laura Tolomei
Published in March 2010 by eXasy Books
Genre: Gay, Fantasy, Paranormal
ISBN: 978-1-55487-568-9
Cover Artist: Angela Waters
Related Books: The Sex: Virtus Saga: Book 1, The Game Virtus Saga: Book 2
Other Books by Laura: Visionquest, To Seduce a Soulmate, Divinitas, Sacrificial Sex and Roman Seduction
Christopher Templeton is joint leader along with Prince Duncan Caldwell, and Christopher is an extremely handsome male specimen who by his lover's confession could have anyone he wants as he is tall, elegant, desirable, and has a lithe body that exudes sex from every pore. He loves Duncan with all his heart, yet is annoyed when he wants to bring another woman, Ylianor into their bed, and their already steamy relationship. Christopher has a very jaded view of women, and Ylianor in particular believing them to be unpredictable and fickle, and is under the impression he does not need one in his life. Once Christopher has been left with Ylianor for a while at Blue Oasis, he sees her in a different way, she is not the clinging vine he thought she was originally, and thinks he might have misjudged her. That does not mean his view of her as an interloper has changed, no, he had already made up his mind to loathe her being there, even though he only wants what is best for his lover. A lover of Arthur Fairchild, his former leader, it is interesting that Christopher decided to keep it in the family by being Duncan's lover also. He has a secret resentful streak in his personality he has to try and keep in check, hoping that his lover will not notice. He does have a kind nature, but it is hidden beneath jibes and insults about the woman in Duncan's life.
A handsome man with a huge ego in many ways, Christopher could never imagine anyone being in their bed but Duncan, and he hates to share his love with someone else, especially another woman. He normally likes to keep them at a distance rather than get involved with them and finds it awful that his lover might actually fall for Ylianor. This is set to break their relationship up as he cannot make compromises and is pretty much stubborn about the fact he sees Duncan as his, and his alone. Love is a serious thing where Christopher is concerned, and his obsessive ways have got worse since his lover let Ylianor enter their bedroom. Christopher is a highly sexed type who loves nothing more than to make-love to his male lover which means guilt plays a large part in their relationship at the moment. Christopher is capable of hurting men with his cruelty, and Ylianor has felt the sharp edge of his blade at her throat before, so there is no love lost between them both. His feelings for hurting others could be blamed on his Virt, his power, but could it be that, or just an excuse to use his power and jealousy to fuel his deep seated hatred?
Master of all he surveys Prince Duncan Caldwell has had a pretty tough time over the past few months after taking on the responsibility of being a leader. Since Arthur's death, he has been swamped with information on how to rule, and it has taken its toll on him as responsibility is never something a young man wants to deal with when sex is much easier. He is very much in love with Christopher, yet is not gay as Christopher is, but bisexual in nature and has taken the woman who used to be the lover of Arthur, so the legacy of Arthur has come full circle. Duncan is a level-headed man who feels he was never born to rule, but one who feels he had it thrust upon him. Even when he is in an intimate setting he can be a bit of a control-freak, annoying his lovers. He leaves Ylianor looking after the Virtus and believes it might have been a mistake on his part as her taking care of it has started to change her personality, making her erratic and unnaturally emotional, pushing him and his lover away, whether it is intentional or not.
A generous man, Duncan had foolishly offered Ylianor membership of the Caldwell family by having a share of the inheritance, and the house, but she refuses thinking he wants to buy her love. He loves Christopher dearly, but feels life lived with one man is not enough for him, and embarks on a life with the one woman he feels totally comfortable with, despite his once leaving Ylianor with Christopher while he went off on a voyage of sexual self-discovery. He is also a highly sexed male, and would like nothing more than Ylianor and Christopher to get along in their threesome, but whether he will is a matter only they can discuss. He can't make Christopher see that he loves two people instead of just him. Duncan has to learn to accept his responsibility as a leader of men and women as the council have agreed that it should be him who takes up the mantle, as he cannot lead alone. He must lead along with Christopher, and that is as it should be.
His grief over his father has to be put aside, even though for anyone it is difficult to hide those feelings just as it is not for others to tell him to get over his loss. He has to use his guile to help Christopher get over the fact he has brought Ylianor to be his lover as well, and hopes he may finally settle down with her at some point. He feels he has suffered Christopher’s jibes and insults for too long. One of the problems Ylianor has is Duncan not getting over a phase in his life where he and Christopher as younger men explored their own sexuality for pleasure and both should have taken a female mate a long time ago, being completely gay, Christopher can never take a woman solely as his as he doesn’t not see them as equals in bed, and his love of Duncan cannot be killed off by one woman as he is persistent in his pursuit of his love.
The Festival: Virtus Saga: Book 3 is a sex-fuelled story of a threesome readers will enjoy as it works so well as a bisexual fantasy novel, one in a series that is interesting and easy to get into. The characters interact and conflict of personalities made it more than just a three-way story. Christopher and Duncan in the story prove that there can be love between two men and a woman but only if Christopher can see Duncan's love for she does not cancel out how he feels for Christopher. This has to be done for them to have such a valuable relationship, however if there was no conflict in the story, it would be generic. Christopher in turn has to learn to control his temper and cruel side if he wants to keep the man in his life. Regardless of his feelings about her being a part of a threesome he doesn't want, he is also denying his actual feelings of desire for her.
For one who can certainly create an interesting story, Laura Tolomei gives readers a first hand look at an unusual relationship that has the potential to either turn sour, or produce three contented individuals who make it work, and Christopher regardless of his feelings of hatred, and jealousy toward her, he has to please his lover, Duncan by letting him take her to their bed for them all to enjoy. I thought the dialogue significantly conflict based between the two males and the one woman. It made me needs to want the three of them to be happy in some small way and stop their constant bickering long enough to enjoy their love. The Festival: Virtus Saga: Book 3 has all the edge you need to start reading, and keep on finding out more about the character's lives, and what it is that turns them on. The Festival: Virtus Saga: Book 3 is one to buy, but would recommend you read the first two volumes in the saga first as it will make sure youget the full benefit of the story and enjoy the experience to the full. Purchase this novel by Laura Tolomei at eXcite Publishing and immerse yourself in the world of the most sensual characters you will ever meet.
Yours in enchantingly good reading,
Sandra
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