A few weeks ago, I had the
opportunity to read a wildly erotic paranormal romance entitled Seducing the Succubus, the first installment of Cassie Ryan’s Sisters of Darkness saga (the
second novel, The Demon and the Succubus, will be released in April). The
storyline revolved around a succubus named Jezebeth who is on the run from an
escaped demon (well, fallen archangel) named Semiazas who has escaped his
prison and is literally hell-bent on revenge. His targets are Jezebeth and her
three succubi sisters, who – on orders from their queen Lilith – imprisoned
Semiazas. Her only help outwitting the demon and its nightmarish minions long
enough to make it to Lilith’s lair is Noah Halston, a horror writer who got
himself entangled in Lilith’s web and now must ensure Jezebeth’s safety or
forfeit his soul for eternity.
Did I mention the erotic element? There are numerous knee-weakening, eye-popping, cold shower-inducing sex scenes between Jezbeth and Noah, Lilith and an assortment of beautiful archangels, etc. there’s even reference to a Garden of Eden threesome between Adam, Eve and Lilith!
I love a well-written sex scene. It’s far from a common occurrence, however – too much graphic detail just turns my stomach and too much schlocky sentimentality ruins it for me as well. It takes real talent to create that perfectly blended sex scene that is simultaneously atmospheric, intense, romantic, and believable. Cassie Ryan may never win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction but she definitely knows how to write great erotica!
Here’s just a taste. This scene features Lilith getting set to engage in a game of sexual Twister with two archangels (Raphael and Gabriel) while the one she loves, Uriel, watches on:
“Raphael pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor, catching her attention and diverting it from Uriel. Raphael grinned as if he’d read her thoughts and then toed off his steel-toed boots and peeled off his leathers to reveal an unbroken expanse of golden-brown skin and a long, thick… He was an impressive specimen – one of God’s best representations of the male form – but still not half as beautiful to her as Uriel. Lilith shoved the thought aside and smiled at Raphael as she motioned him forward as well. He wasted no time as he strode across the room and pulled Lilith flush against him, his hard body pressed against hers as he captured her mouth and plundered, leaving her feeling as if she were being battered by an erotic hurricane.”
Seducing the Succubus was a
great read – it was fast-paced, highly entertaining and wickedly sexy. There
was even a teaser chapter from the The Demon and the Succubus at the end of the
book. The second novel revolves around another Sister of Darkness, Amalya, and
if that chapter was any indication… wow. I can’t wait for another cold shower in April!
But as I began doing research for the Seducing the Succubus review, I learned that Cassie Ryan was a pseudonym for author Tina Gerow, who – according to her twitter account – has been undergoing surgeries to remedy a “birth defect that had to do with her brain.”
This tweet was posted on Christmas morning:
“Hey all. Tina has been in the hospital for over 5 wks now. She is doing very well, she is in rehab now. Thank you for the positive energy.”
The freshfiction website had more detailed information:
“Tina Gerow/Cassie Ryan has been taken suddenly and seriously ill. She has an affliction called Arteriovenous malformation or AVM in her brain which has led to multiple surgeries and an extended stay in ICU…”
Learning this information definitely put things in perspective – yes, Seducing the Succubus was a fantastic read, and, yes, I can’t wait to read The Demon and the Succubus and, yes, Cassie Ryan is one helluva paranormal romance writer but none of that really matters right now.
Get well soon, Tina, my prayers are with you and your family – and so too undoubtedly are the thoughts and prayers of countless fans who want nothing more than to see you make a full recovery.
Paul Goat Allen has been a full-time book reviewer specializing in genre fiction for almost the last two decades and has written more than 6,000 reviews for companies like Publishers Weekly, The Chicago Tribune, and BarnesandNoble.com. In his free time, he reads.
