Review: AWAKENING by Kitty Thomas

Awakening
by Kitty Thomas

Publisher: Burlesque Press
Release Date: August 25, 2011
Source: Review copy from Author

Nerina has lived all her life as a mermaid, fascinated by humans and land but also repulsed by sex and unable to understand love. Her curiosity gets her captured by a human male intent on awakening her lust and turning her human. But Nerina doesn’t believe the legend is real and fears Kyros will kill her when he learns she can’t transform.

Awakening was an interesting, dark love story between a human named Kyros and a mermaid named, Nerina. Legend says that if you catch a mermaid and can seduce her and awaken her lust she will be transformed into a human. Merfolk don’t have sex for pleasure or reproduction. They live together in large schools, like fish, and don’t show each other affection through kissing or touching. Nerina has seen humans and monkeys having sex and the thought of it does not appeal to her at all.   

Nerina never believed the legend that a mermaid could be turned human. She always dismissed the story as a scare tactic to keep mermaids from swimming too close to the shore. But the adventurous sea nymph would soon find herself swept up into a fisherman’s net and kept against her will. Rather than have her killed so that they could eat her mermaid fin, Kyros decides to keep her for himself. She fights the transformation in the beginning and tries to ignore the burgeoning feelings that Kyros incites in her. But slowly her lustful feelings take over and soon she can’t imagine life without Kyros’ touch and affection. The thought of going back to the sea starts to hold less and less appeal. Although she knows she will miss her family she begins to crave the touch of her Master.

This wonderful Kitty Thomas book wouldn’t have been complete without a dungeon scene which of course was one of my favorites. Nerina was deathly afraid of it and confused by all the contraptions and strips of leather on the walls. But Master Kyros once again patiently showed her how pleasurable pain can be.

        “Nerina, there are many different types of pleasure. Some types look like pain to the untrained eye. I’ll show you.”

~

          I managed to calm myself and the next time the flogger came down, my body was relaxed, loose. I gasped at the sensation skimming across my skin. Inexplicably I felt safe and warm and loved.

~

          As we both came down from the peak, he let himself fall forward over my back, his sweat-slicked skin resting against mine, his fingers threading through mine.

          “Tell me you love me, Nerina.”

          “I love you, Master.”

~ Kyros and Nerina

Kitty Thomas created a really incredible love story. Nerina’s fear, disbelief and conflicted feelings were skillfully conveyed. Her journey from a naive mermaid to a lustful woman was full of love and passion. Kyros was affectionately patient and firm with Nerina as he truly believed that he could make her human. I love a merciful Dom and Kyros fit the bill perfectly. Nerina was an innocent mermaid that Kyros was able to awaken and mold into his perfect submissive woman. I thought the pacing was perfect as the novella never seemed hurried. And I didn’t feel it was lacking in content or detail. Awakening was a beautifully written erotic mermaid fairy tale and gets 4.5 dragons.