Prince of Ice: A Tale of the Demon World: Tale of the Demon World Series, Book 2 [Kindle Edition]

This is the tale of Xishi and Corum, tools in an elaborate scheme to avenge the Huon family.

Xishi is the result of a night between the lonly emperor and the half-human offspring that caused the fall of the Huon-family. Her mother then enters into the service of the Midarri-family, where she hopes to put her daughter right under the nose of the young Midarri-heir, Corum. Unfortunately, Xishi's mother dies, but her plan works nonetheless. To calm the restless Corum, who suffers from a genetic defect that makes it harder for him to achieve the emotional control that is so highly valued among the Yama, his mother and nurse put baby Xishi in his cradle and immediately his eyes flash black, a sign of wellbeing - or of finding ones genetic match, also called mate.

But as time progresses and Corum doesn't seem able to calm his giggles and stem his tears, his mother decides that fanciful Xishi isn't a help any longer and carts her off to an orphanage.

Years pass and neither is quiet able to forget his childhodfriend. The greater Corum's suprise, as he stumbles upon her in a Pillow-House. And as he carries her home with him, his heretofore dormant sexual needs rise to an unbearable level!

But how can a mere Rhon, a servant, worse, a sex-slave, be his mate? And how can he convince the Royal world to accept the match? Is she really his mate? Or is his attachment to her just a side-effect of his genetic defect?

And who is having them followed around the city?

Emma Holly has buildt an interesting world, set in an alternate time, conceivably, around 1900. Though the part we see in this book, the capital of the Yama, called Demons by ordinary Humans, has little to do with Victorian England. There are flying cars and handhelds and softly glowing ceilings that can be regulated verbally. There is chrystal and silk and gemstones set in the floor. It is an exotic world populated with exotic beings.

Corum and Xishi are both believable and sympathic characters. Corum, called the Prince of Ice, always struggling to maintain his cool facade, and Xishi, unduely temperamental because of her human parentage and forever sorry about it.

The story is actually interesting and not just a lame setting to make excuses for the sex. Though, don't be confused about this: Sex is the main issue of this book. It is a regular women's porn and would anyone put the sex out of it, it would only be half as thick.

So if you're one of those people who buy romantic books for the romance and skip the sex-szenes - there are better books for you out there. If, however, you like a hot, steaming romance with just a hint of adventure and exotic settings, as I do, then this is the book for you.

Enjoy the read.

Cor has some genetic defect which makes it hard for him to reign in his emotions - as is requested by a prince of the yamish. Xisha is an orphant and has been different from the average yamish, even from the lower rhon. Separated at the age of eight, these two grow up to be very different characters: he buries his emotions to become the prince of ice, while she continues to dream (some time at least) and finding a future in one of the respected whore-houses of the yama. And then, they meet again..

** The plot has been well described by my predecessor. It is true, several steamy sex-scenes confirm Ms Hollys reputation as a phantastic erotic writer. She is quite explicit, inventive and not shy to use 'toys' on her heroes or to get a bit rough with them. But still she never looses sight of the plot and all the characters appear believable. Maybe one little critics: The Yama are a great invention but when they interact with humans, their difference and prejudice adds the final touch. This clash of culture / belief adds to the natural tension in her books, unfortunately, no humans appear in this story, only as a plot line and as hearsay.

Nach "The Demon's Daughter" kehrt Emma Holly hier wieder in die dort geschilderte Welt zurück, in der zur Zeit Königin Victorias die Yama entdeckt wurden, eine weit entwickelte Rasse, die im Verborgenen lebt und nur zögernd ihre technischen Errungenschaften mit den Menschen teilt. Während "The Demon's Daughter" im alternativen London und damit hauptsächlich in der Welt der Menschen spielte, geht es in "The Prince Of Ice" fast ausschließlich um die Yama, oder die Dämonen, wie sie von den Menschen genannt werden.

Im engen Kastensystem der Yama ist die Familie Huon in Ungnade gefallen, anstatt in Palästen zu wohnen, sind die Familienmitglieder jetzt gezwungen, für ihren Lebensunterhalt zu arbeiten. Ein letzter verzweifelter Plan, den angestammten Platz wiederzugewinnen, schlägt fehl, und so kommt es, dass Xishi, die als Säugling von der hochgestellten Midarri-Familie aufgenommen wurde, weder um ihre Herkunft, noch um die hochtrabenden Pläne ihrer Mutter weiß. Als Gefährtin des gleichaltrigen Corum Midarri genießt sie ihre Kindheit, die ein jähes Ende findet, als Corums Mutter beschließt, die Nähe des anderen Kindes halte ihren Sohn davon ab, sein Potenzial zu erreichen. Erst Jahre später treffen die beiden wieder aufeinander, Corum als "Eisprinz", der erfolgreiche Erbe seiner Familie, Xishi als Konkubine Buttercup, die bei ihrer Bordellherrin in Ungnade gefallen ist, und verkauft werden soll.

Wie schon im ersten Roman dieses Universums überzeugt die geschilderte Welt durch ihre Komplexität und Vielfalt, die hier durch die oberste Kaste der Yama eine weitere Facette erhält. Xishi, Corum, wie auch die Nebencharaktere wirken real, behalten dabei aber immer eine gewisse Fremdheit, so dass man nie vergisst, dass es sich hier nicht um Menschen handelt. Die Geschichte ist spannend und überraschend, zum Teil etwas bemüht dramatisch, im großen und ganzen aber sehr unterhaltsam. Beide Romane im Demon-Universum sind völlig voneinander unabhängig, man kann also problemlos "The Prince Of Ice" lesen, ohne vorher "The Demon's Daughter" gelesen zu haben.