Carolingian
An attentive reader will notice that Carolingian "men" are risk-tolerant people who like to argue and can't back down from a dare and treat everything as a competition and settle disputes with mild physical scuffling, and Carolingian "women" are "risk-averse people who are aware of the concept of diplomacy and conceal their emotions and manage households and do behind-the-scenes maneuvering," with no particular reference to physical characteristics. People who don't sufficiently fit either description are referred to as "genderfails", which does in fact appear to be associated with actually failing some sort of test. Carolingia seems to think that genderfails are at least mildly despicable, but very, very sexy.
Also, everyone in these novels is fucking a lot. Most of the books include bonus, plot-optional sex scenes in the back -- in addition to the sex scenes in the main text, which contain plot or at least some kind of important character development -- with footnotes in the main text indicating the points where bonus sex scenes are available.
The first novel is set in a universe where men have emotion-based magic and women have ritual-based magic and hermaphrodite genderfails can combine the power of both and therefore rule with an iron fist, IN SPACE. The leader of a resistance cell arouses the suspicions of her feudal lord, who is charmed by her talent for subterfuge and indulges her by letting her think she's succeeding at fomenting revolution, while secretly stymieing all her efforts. The rebel loathes and fears the lord, but can't help recognizing how skillfully they wield power, and unwillingly grows to admire and desire them. The two are having sex almost from the beginning of the novel -- the lord can and does use the rebel sexually at will, and the rebel is attempting to sexually manipulate the lord -- and there are several lovingly described torture scenes when the rebel does something the lord can't quite overlook. By the end, they've settled into a strange but affectionate relationship, where the rebel eagerly betrays her comrades to the lord in return for scraps of affection, and the lord lovingly rapes and tortures her as a reward.
The second novel follows a young woman who's setting up a household with her new husband, and her new husband's brother, and her new husband's brother's wife, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin's dog, and also a wandering troubadour who joins them halfway through the book and appears to be planning to stay indefinitely. She's very fond of her silly impulsive histrionic husband, but he's a soldier and only occasionally comes home on leave; the actual romance plot is with the husband's brother's wife. The two women initially clash over how they want to run the household, expressing this through the subtext of long ostensibly-friendly conversations about home decoration and chore schedules. Over the course of the book, they gradually work out some of their issues and begin to find their differences a powerful resource rather than an obstacle, and the subtext slowly shifts towards sexual tension. They don't actually have sex onscreen -- the climax of the book involves a successful dinner party -- and it's never clear what exactly their mostly-absent husbands know, but in the epilogue the household has six children of varying ages, and the husband's brother's wife has the only working penis in the house.
The third novel is the story of two men on opposite sides of a glorious and noble and thoroughly unrealistic sword-and-shield war over disputed territory. One is young and clumsy and ambitious; the other is older and weary but devoted and noble. They sing to each other from neighboring fortifications in between skirmishes, and risk their lives reaching rendezvous points to leave love notes, and trade longing glances in the thick of battle. The occasions where they can actually meet face-to-face are scarce and precious and full of desperate fucking in muddy foxholes. At one point they clash on the battlefield, and the younger man wounds the older, and afterwards carries him back to camp and personally nurses him back to health before releasing him in a prisoner exchange. At another, the older man puts on clothing the younger stole from the commanding officer he has a crush on, and they roleplay some very sexy illegal orders. The book ends when the two countries make peace, and the men swear eternal brotherhood before returning to their homelands.
With Abrogail now alerted to the possibility that these books were only 'translated' into a setting where the characters have the usual humanoid number of arms and legs, she doesn't fail to note that this story is probably also about aliens. The second and third Carolingian books have nothing of interest and are not even of Lawfulness let alone Evil. Abrogail stamps them with her most expensive means of annoyance, where you hunt down the author if they try to flee, Maledict them, and pay Hell extra to have them sent down to a lower layer; if she doesn't actually have to pay for it.
The first book... appears to be deliberately written to subvert Asmodeans; the overt story is one of a very proper romance between ambitious master and ambitious reluctant slave, on the surface of things, with authority finally triumphant. But this protagonist and deuteragonist care way too much about each other and not just in an obsessive, possessive, controlling way. This book does not show a healthy Asmodean relationship regardless of how much torture and rape goes on inside it. This book is Problematic. This book comes from an alternate universe where it's fine for Asmodeans to really care about each other. This book is disturbing. Who writes this?
Abrogail reaches out for her worst stamp, slightly regretting that she's never put in the effort to make a new stamp for how much to hurt authors if you have an unlimited budget you don't actually have to pay for, and is disgruntled when the book suddenly vanishes from her grasp.
Carolingian
An attentive reader will notice that Carolingian "men" are risk-tolerant people who like to argue and can't back down from a dare and treat everything as a competition and settle disputes with mild physical scuffling, and Carolingian "women" are "risk-averse people who are aware of the concept of diplomacy and conceal their emotions and manage households and do behind-the-scenes maneuvering," with no particular reference to physical characteristics. People who don't sufficiently fit either description are referred to as "genderfails", which does in fact appear to be associated with actually failing some sort of test. Carolingia seems to think that genderfails are at least mildly despicable, but very, very sexy.
Also, everyone in these novels is fucking a lot. Most of the books include bonus, plot-optional sex scenes in the back -- in addition to the sex scenes in the main text, which contain plot or at least some kind of important character development -- with footnotes in the main text indicating the points where bonus sex scenes are available.
The first novel is set in a universe where men have emotion-based magic and women have ritual-based magic and hermaphrodite genderfails can combine the power of both and therefore rule with an iron fist, IN SPACE. The leader of a resistance cell arouses the suspicions of her feudal lord, who is charmed by her talent for subterfuge and indulges her by letting her think she's succeeding at fomenting revolution, while secretly stymieing all her efforts. The rebel loathes and fears the lord, but can't help recognizing how skillfully they wield power, and unwillingly grows to admire and desire them. The two are having sex almost from the beginning of the novel -- the lord can and does use the rebel sexually at will, and the rebel is attempting to sexually manipulate the lord -- and there are several lovingly described torture scenes when the rebel does something the lord can't quite overlook. By the end, they've settled into a strange but affectionate relationship, where the rebel eagerly betrays her comrades to the lord in return for scraps of affection, and the lord lovingly rapes and tortures her as a reward.
The second novel follows a young woman who's setting up a household with her new husband, and her new husband's brother, and her new husband's brother's wife, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin's dog, and also a wandering troubadour who joins them halfway through the book and appears to be planning to stay indefinitely. She's very fond of her silly impulsive histrionic husband, but he's a soldier and only occasionally comes home on leave; the actual romance plot is with the husband's brother's wife. The two women initially clash over how they want to run the household, expressing this through the subtext of long ostensibly-friendly conversations about home decoration and chore schedules. Over the course of the book, they gradually work out some of their issues and begin to find their differences a powerful resource rather than an obstacle, and the subtext slowly shifts towards sexual tension. They don't actually have sex onscreen -- the climax of the book involves a successful dinner party -- and it's never clear what exactly their mostly-absent husbands know, but in the epilogue the household has six children of varying ages, and the husband's brother's wife has the only working penis in the house.
The third novel is the story of two men on opposite sides of a glorious and noble and thoroughly unrealistic sword-and-shield war over disputed territory. One is young and clumsy and ambitious; the other is older and weary but devoted and noble. They sing to each other from neighboring fortifications in between skirmishes, and risk their lives reaching rendezvous points to leave love notes, and trade longing glances in the thick of battle. The occasions where they can actually meet face-to-face are scarce and precious and full of desperate fucking in muddy foxholes. At one point they clash on the battlefield, and the younger man wounds the older, and afterwards carries him back to camp and personally nurses him back to health before releasing him in a prisoner exchange. At another, the older man puts on clothing the younger stole from the commanding officer he has a crush on, and they roleplay some very sexy illegal orders. The book ends when the two countries make peace, and the men swear eternal brotherhood before returning to their homelands.
With Abrogail now alerted to the possibility that these books were only 'translated' into a setting where the characters have the usual humanoid number of arms and legs, she doesn't fail to note that this story is probably also about aliens. The second and third Carolingian books have nothing of interest and are not even of Lawfulness let alone Evil. Abrogail stamps them with her most expensive means of annoyance, where you hunt down the author if they try to flee, Maledict them, and pay Hell extra to have them sent down to a lower layer; why not, if she doesn't actually have to pay for it.
The first book... appears to be deliberately written to subvert Asmodeans; the overt story is one of a very proper romance between ambitious master and ambitious reluctant slave, on the surface of things, with authority finally triumphant. But this protagonist and deuteragonist care way too much about each other and not just in an obsessive, possessive, controlling way. This book does not show a healthy Asmodean relationship regardless of how much torture and rape goes on inside it. This book is Problematic. This book comes from an alternate universe where it's fine for Asmodeans to really care about each other. This book is disturbing. Who writes this?
Abrogail reaches out for her worst stamp, slightly regretting that she's never put in the effort to make a new stamp for how much to hurt authors if you have an unlimited budget you don't actually have to pay for, and is disgruntled when the book suddenly vanishes from her grasp.
Carolingian
An attentive reader will notice that Carolingian "men" are risk-tolerant people who like to argue and can't back down from a dare and treat everything as a competition and settle disputes with mild physical scuffling, and Carolingian "women" are "risk-averse people who are aware of the concept of diplomacy and conceal their emotions and manage households and do behind-the-scenes maneuvering," with no particular reference to physical characteristics. People who don't sufficiently fit either description are referred to as "genderfails", which does in fact appear to be associated with actually failing some sort of test. Carolingia seems to think that genderfails are at least mildly despicable, but very, very sexy.
Also, everyone in these novels is fucking a lot. Most of the books include bonus, plot-optional sex scenes in the back -- in addition to the sex scenes in the main text, which contain plot or at least some kind of important character development -- with footnotes in the main text indicating the points where bonus sex scenes are available.
The first novel is set in a universe where men have emotion-based magic and women have ritual-based magic and hermaphrodite genderfails can combine the power of both and therefore rule with an iron fist, IN SPACE. The leader of a resistance cell arouses the suspicions of her feudal lord, who is charmed by her talent for subterfuge and indulges her by letting her think she's succeeding at fomenting revolution, while secretly stymieing all her efforts. The rebel loathes and fears the lord, but can't help recognizing how skillfully they wield power, and unwillingly grows to admire and desire them. The two are having sex almost from the beginning of the novel -- the lord can and does use the rebel sexually at will, and the rebel is attempting to sexually manipulate the lord -- and there are several lovingly described torture scenes when the rebel does something the lord can't quite overlook. By the end, they've settled into a strange but affectionate relationship, where the rebel eagerly betrays her comrades to the lord in return for scraps of affection, and the lord lovingly rapes and tortures her as a reward.
The second novel follows a young woman who's setting up a household with her new husband, and her new husband's brother, and her new husband's brother's wife, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin's dog, and also a wandering troubadour who joins them halfway through the book and appears to be planning to stay indefinitely. She's very fond of her silly impulsive histrionic husband, but he's a soldier and only occasionally comes home on leave; the actual romance plot is with the husband's brother's wife. The two women initially clash over how they want to run the household, expressing this through the subtext of long ostensibly-friendly conversations about home decoration and chore schedules. Over the course of the book, they gradually work out some of their issues and begin to find their differences a powerful resource rather than an obstacle, and the subtext slowly shifts towards sexual tension. They don't actually have sex onscreen -- the climax of the book involves a successful dinner party -- and it's never clear what exactly their mostly-absent husbands know, but in the epilogue the household has six children of varying ages, and the husband's brother's wife has the only working penis in the house.
The third novel is the story of two men on opposite sides of a glorious and noble and thoroughly unrealistic sword-and-shield war over disputed territory. One is young and clumsy and ambitious; the other is older and weary but devoted and noble. They sing to each other from neighboring fortifications in between skirmishes, and risk their lives reaching rendezvous points to leave love notes, and trade longing glances in the thick of battle. The occasions where they can actually meet face-to-face are scarce and precious and full of desperate fucking in muddy foxholes. At one point they clash on the battlefield, and the younger man wounds the older, and afterwards carries him back to camp and personally nurses him back to health before releasing him in a prisoner exchange. At another, the older man puts on clothing the younger stole from the commanding officer he has a crush on, and they roleplay some very sexy illegal orders. The book ends when the two countries make peace, and the men swear eternal brotherhood before returning to their homelands.
With Abrogail now alerted to the possibility that these books were only 'translated' into a setting where the characters have the usual humanoid number of arms and legs, she doesn't fail to note that this story is probably also about aliens. The second and third Carolingian books have nothing of interest and are not even of Lawfulness let alone Evil. Abrogail stamps them with her most expensive means of annoyance, where you hunt down the author if they try to flee, Maledict them, and pay Hell extra to have them sent down to a lower layer; why not, if she doesn't actually have to pay for it.
The first book... appears to be deliberately written to subvert Asmodeans; the overt story is one of a very proper romance between ambitious master and ambitious reluctant slave, on the surface of things, with authority finally triumphant. But this protagonist and deuteragonist care way too much about each other and not just in an obsessive, possessive, controlling way. This book does not show a healthy Asmodean relationship regardless of how much torture and rape goes on inside it. This book is Problematic. This book comes from an alternate universe where it's fine for Asmodeans to really care about each other. This book is disturbing. Who writes this?
Abrogail reaches out for her worst stamp, slightly regretting that she's never put in the effort to make a new stamp for how much to hurt authors if you have an unlimited budget you don't actually have to pay for, and is disgruntled when the book suddenly vanishes from her grasp.
Carolingian
An attentive reader will notice that Carolingian "men" are risk-tolerant people who like to argue and can't back down from a dare and treat everything as a competition and settle disputes with mild physical scuffling, and Carolingian "women" are "risk-averse people who are aware of the concept of diplomacy and conceal their emotions and manage households and do behind-the-scenes maneuvering," with no particular reference to physical characteristics. People who don't sufficiently fit either description are referred to as "genderfails", which does in fact appear to be associated with actually failing some sort of test. Carolingia seems to think that genderfails are at least mildly despicable, but very, very sexy.
Also, everyone in these novels is fucking a lot. Most of the books include bonus, plot-optional sex scenes in the back -- in addition to the sex scenes in the main text, which contain plot or at least some kind of important character development -- with footnotes in the main text indicating the points where bonus sex scenes are available.
The first novel is set in a universe where men have emotion-based magic and women have ritual-based magic and hermaphrodite genderfails can combine the power of both and therefore rule with an iron fist, IN SPACE. The leader of a resistance cell arouses the suspicions of her feudal lord, who is charmed by her talent for subterfuge and indulges her by letting her think she's succeeding at fomenting revolution, while secretly stymieing all her efforts. The rebel loathes and fears the lord, but can't help recognizing how skillfully they wield power, and unwillingly grows to admire and desire them. The two are having sex almost from the beginning of the novel -- the lord can and does use the rebel sexually at will, and the rebel is attempting to sexually manipulate the lord -- and there are several lovingly described torture scenes when the rebel does something the lord can't quite overlook. By the end, they've settled into a strange but affectionate relationship, where the rebel eagerly betrays her comrades to the lord in return for scraps of affection, and the lord lovingly rapes and tortures her as a reward.
The second novel follows a young woman who's setting up a household with her new husband, and her new husband's brother, and her new husband's brother's wife, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin, and her new husband's brother's wife's cousin's dog, and also a wandering troubadour who joins them halfway through the book and appears to be planning to stay indefinitely. She's very fond of her silly impulsive histrionic husband, but he's a soldier and only occasionally comes home on leave; the actual romance plot is with the husband's brother's wife. The two women initially clash over how they want to run the household, expressing this through the subtext of long ostensibly-friendly conversations about home decoration and chore schedules. Over the course of the book, they gradually work out some of their issues and begin to find their differences a powerful resource rather than an obstacle, and the subtext slowly shifts towards sexual tension. They don't actually have sex onscreen -- the climax of the book involves a successful dinner party -- and it's never clear what exactly their mostly-absent husbands know, but in the epilogue the household has six children of varying ages, and the husband's brother's wife has the only working penis in the house.
The third novel is the story of two men on opposite sides of a glorious and noble and thoroughly unrealistic sword-and-shield war over disputed territory. One is young and clumsy and ambitious; the other is older and weary but devoted and noble. They sing to each other from neighboring fortifications in between skirmishes, and risk their lives reaching rendezvous points to leave love notes, and trade longing glances in the thick of battle. The occasions where they can actually meet face-to-face are scarce and precious and full of desperate fucking in muddy foxholes. At one point they clash on the battlefield, and the younger man wounds the older, and afterwards carries him back to camp and personally nurses him back to health before releasing him in a prisoner exchange. At another, the older man puts on clothing the younger stole from the commanding officer he has a crush on, and they roleplay some very sexy illegal orders. The book ends when the two countries make peace, and the men swear eternal brotherhood before returning to their homelands.
With Abrogail now alerted to the possibility that these books were only 'translated' into a setting where the characters have the usual humanoid number of arms and legs, she doesn't fail to note that this story is probably also about aliens. The second and third Carolingian books have nothing of interest and are not even of Lawfulness let alone Evil. Abrogail stamps them with her most expensive means of annoyance, where you hunt down the author if they try to flee, Maledict them, and pay Hell extra to have them sent down to a lower layer; why not, if she doesn't actually have to pay for it.
The first book... appears to be deliberately written to subvert Asmodeans; the overt story is one of a very proper romance between ambitious master and ambitious reluctant slave, on the surface of things, with authority finally triumphant. But this protagonist and deuteragonist care way too much about each other and not just in an obsessive, possessive, controlling way. This book does not show a healthy Asmodean relationship regardless of how much torture and rape goes on inside it. This book is Problematic. This book comes from an alternate universe where it's fine for Asmodeans to really care about each other. This book is disturbing. Who writes this?
Abrogail reaches out for her worst stamp, slightly regretting that she's never put in the effort to make a new stamp for how much to hurt authors if you have an unlimited budget you don't actually have to pay for, and is disgruntled when the book suddenly vanishes from her grasp.
