Who’s down for a little monster love? I am! Oh, oh, me please. Pick me!
Title: Steel & Thunder
Series: Steel & Thunder
Author: Dominic N Ashen
Publisher: 4 Horsemen Publications
Release Date: April 01, 2021
Heat Level: 6/5 – this is off the charts!
Pairing: M/M – that’s Monster/Men not Male/Male, although it’s that too.
Length: 268 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Erotica
Tags: Orcs, Magic, Submission, Dominance, Kink, Bondage, Spanking, Anthropology, Imprisonment
Content Warnings: Dubious Consent
Blurb:
When David went exploring with his friends, he figured they might come across some old ruins or maybe even fight a few monsters. He never expected that he’d wind up captured by an orc and turned into his pet; he expected even less that he’d actually like it. It all started when he was sitting in a jail cell, so desperate to escape that he agreed to trial by combat: The Ritual of Steel & Thunder. He opens the fight strong, but when his competitor manages to overpower him, things start to heat up and he realizes he may have signed on for more than he bargained for.
Captain Khazak Ironstorm is the orc ranger responsible for David’s arrest–and after defeating him in combat, his new owner. Initially amused by his slave’s antics, something deeper begins to grow between them–something dark that draws Khazak in as much as it troubles him. More confounding than that are the feats of agility and speed his new pet seems able to perform as if they were nothing. What he does know is that if there is anyone capable of taming this barbaric human’s behavior, it’s him.
My Review:
Oh my god, is it hot in here?
You may have noticed that this busted out of my Heat Level scale. Let me start by saying that as a general rule I’m not into submission and dominance, but I don’t mind reading about it. I mean, when I concoct sexual fantasies my mind doesn’t immediately gravitate towards restraints, collars, obedience and spanking, but hey – give me a well written, plot-driven story with some of these elements and I’m good! But Steel & Thunder took the S&M scene into a completely different arena – and certainly one I wasn’t expecting.
I mean, I was fanning myself from the beginning of this book until the end.
But here’s why it was such a page turner.
Ashen took a typical Dungeons and Dragon’s like quest and turned it on its ear. I was expecting a little monster f**king given the cover of the book, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the immense world the author created. Our main character ends up in a hidden city populated predominantly by Orcs – complete with green tinged skin and tusks for canines. There are also other humans in this city, and elves, and other typical humanoid races that you think of when you think “fantasy”. I listed Anthropology in the tags, here’s why.
Ashen not only tells the story of our captive main character, David, but slowly introduces us to the Orcish way of life, culture, rituals, language, food – and we find out that its no different than our human expectations of civilized society – and in fact, in many ways, its far more advanced. Most notably the Orcish society is more accepting and open regarding attraction, sexual activities, and choice of partner(s). Our naïve explorer who stumbles upon an ancient rune with his ragtag party, winds up being arrested based on a misunderstanding, thrusted into a new way of life and turns his imprisonment into a life adventure and journey of self-discovery.
Okay, sounds less like an erotica book and maybe more intelligent than a fist-pumping, one-handed read, right? That’s because it is. Kudos to Ashen for giving me a story I wanted to continue to spend time in, and maybe even personally experience.
At the very beginning there is a scene that is very much steeped with dubious consensual sex. Normally, that is something I would steer clear of – but the way it was presented, and then explained – through some underhanded dealings of other characters, and with language barriers front and center, the consent issue for me was well taken care of.
I also loved how Ashen took the reader by the hand and slowly introduces me to the world of submissives and dominants. Regardless of whether or not the rules laid out in Steel & Thunder are in line with this type of role play in our world, the gradual introduction, and then pages filled with hot and steamy sexy fun times kept me reading this book at a hot and furious rate.
If you’re up for something completely different, with a little spank and tickle and green skin, you have GOT to give this book a read. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Side note – there’s a second book coming and I personally CANNOT WAIT!
My Rating:
Purchase Links:
Meet the Author:
Dominic N. Ashen is an author and avid reader, with a heavy focus on gay, BDSM-themed erotica. After spending his youth in search of books with characters who were more like himself – queer ones, specifically – he decided to start creating some of his own. His stories star queer protagonists, most often gay and bisexual men, and feature heavy themes of dominance, submission, and all sorts of kinks. Dominic loves the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres, with a penchant for writing longer stories where he is able to weave in the sex and kink right alongside the plot.
J.P. Jackson 