The Memorial Garden

by Lauren P Burka

Book Review by Lisabet Sarai

It is a familiar story.  The proud heir to a provincial kingdom is called to the Imperial Court, to serve the shadowy ruler of the known universe. Rebellious, unwilling to accept his destiny, he disobeys the dictates of his keepers, always seeking an escape. Finally he comes to understand that he is not only a slave to the whims of his royal Master or Mistress, but also the successor to Imperial glory.

A familiar story, true―but in the hands of author Lauren P. Burka, it takes on new life. Sofian, eldest son of the Lord Prime of Mazinara, learns that his genetic endowment dooms him to a life on distant Firdoos, where the eternal Empress reigns. He spends two years on a vast starship, traveling to Her moon which circles its gas giant parent. When he finally arrives, he discovers that his role is to serve as sexual consort to the Empress. At her feet, he loses all desire to rebel; he is instantly and hopelessly addicted to her. In reaction, he begins a cruel but intense relationship with Numair, a discarded consort  suffering withdrawal pangs at being banished from the Empress' presence.  Sofian's connection with Numair wars with his helpless devotion to his Mistress. He cannot help abandoning the desperate  ex-consort when the Empress calls.  However, when the Empress conceives Sofian's child, gives birth and then expires, Sofian understands that he will do anything to win Numair's forgiveness and love.

In THE MEMORIAL GARDEN, Ms. Burka twists the old fable and makes it her own. She vividly evokes the semi-tribal world of Mazinara, where a man's braids are his pride; the regimented society aboard the spaceship; the elegance, wealth and beauty of the Firdoos court; the incendiary glory of the Empress; and the twisted attraction Sofian feels for Numair. 

This is a tale of adventure and self-discovery as much as lust. There are relatively few sex scenes. However, they will leave you breathless and aching. They have an emotional complexity that is fairly rare, especially in erotic romance, which I suppose is the appropriate genre. I've never encountered a more brutal or more moving BDSM scene in erotic romance than the final session when Sofian begs for Numair's pardon. 

Lisabet Sarai
March 2010

The Memorial Garden by Lauren P Burka
(Torquere Press, 2009; ISBN B002JFMVBK)
Available at: Amazon (Kindle edition) | Torquere Press

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© 2010 Lisabet Sarai. All rights reserved. Content may not be copied or used in whole or part without written permission from the author.

About the Reviewer: Lisabet Sarai has been writing ever since she learned how to hold a pencil. She is the author of three erotic novels, Raw Silk, Incognito, and Ruby's Rules; co-editor, with S.F. Mayfair, of the anthology Sacred Exchange (Blue Moon); and editor of Cream, the Best of the Erotica Readers & Writers Association.
Visit her website, Lisabet Sarai's Fantasy Factory for more information and samples of her writing.
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