The Master by Jean JonsonSteam Level: Well – the hero has to perform Tantric sex – need I say more?
Why this one: Well – I had so much fun in the TBR challenge with The Sword and The Wolf, I had to continue with the series!
Amazon Blurb: Kidnapped and put on the auction block, Dominor is sold to Lady Serina, arithmancer extraordinaire. Initially outraged, he is soon curious as she explains that she needs him not as a slave but as an assistant. An inadvertent spell cast hundreds of years ago is the root of the battle between the sexes and the war that is ravaging her world. She has found a way to reverse the spell, but she needs a strong male mage to help. Dom has yet to back down from a challenge, and he finds the lady to be as pleasantly challenging as the task itself. Johnson turns up the heat in her third outing in the Sons of Destiny series (The Sword, The Wolf, 2007) as Dom and Serina not only engage in their own battle of wills but also relish practicing the tantric skills needed to cast their spell. Johnson's quirky, modern-touch sense of humor is a keynote in her historical fantasy, and the series grows more intriguing as each brother fulfills his part of the prophecy.
My Thoughts: I can’t say enough about how much I’m enjoying this series! Dominor kind of fits his name in that he is quite arrogant – in a charming way. It’s interesting to see how this total and completely sure of himself hero suffers the indignity of being captured and sold as a slave. I can’t imagine anyone less humble. Yet he accepts with his own estimable aplumb and decides to see what happens. Of course the thought of Tantric sex is not something he sneezes his nose at as they need lots of practice before hand to make sure they get it right.
Although he was arrogant as all get out, he was also a fascinating character. I think he might be my favourite hero in the series so far. And Serina is an equally great match for him.
Ms. Johnson’s heroines are interesting. The first couple were the typical virgin heroines – ok, well they weren’t typical, but you get what I’m saying. But Serina had ‘known’ a few men before she met Dominor and she has a healthy enjoyment of sex. She's a genius in her particular area of magic but in her personal life she is a scatterbrain. Being a scatterbrain myself in many ways, I really liked her. And I loved the way Dominor took charge of her and took care of her. He reminded me a bit of JD Robb's Roarke in that way. He freely admitted and without any issue about it at all, that Serina was smarter than him and he admired her for it. Can I say I really liked that part of him.
A great deal of the story took place in the land she was living in, so we didn’t get as much time with the extended family in this one. And I really enjoy all the brothers with their varying personalities. But towards the end of the book the family were together again.
There was an especially tender moment between Dominor and his twin brother Evanor, who lost his magic, his voice in the previous book.
As Katie said in the previous post, it’s wonderful discovering new authors and it’s been wonderful discovering Jean Johnson!
And for the shallow me – although they are all very similar, this is my favourite cover.
Grade: 4.5 out of 5
