Rating: 3 stars
At first glance, Enslaved by a Viking (The New Icelandic Chronicles #2) may seem to be a straight up erotic romance with too much sex and a miniscule plot. There’s definitely sex on almost every page, and when the characters aren’t having sex, they’re thinking about it; but, there is an actual plot and not just smut.
Delilah Devlin sure can combine sensuality and eroticism with a nice balance of action and drama, though I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it because for me as a reader, a book can’t be sustained and enjoyable by sex alone.
Enslaved by a Viking is set in an alternate universe that's comparable to a lost in space adventure. The heir to the Icelandic throne (Iceland is a planet in this one) is prince Eirik Ulfhednar, a Viking who has been kidnapped with some of his men to be used in horrible ways, after being ricked by Fatin, a bounty hunter who came to his planet pretending to be a whore. Now Eirik will be forced to become a sex-thrall for Aliyah, a Madam of a brothel on the planet, Helio.
Fatin was once a sex-thrall for Aliyah but was able to buy her freedom. Her sister Zarah is still in Aliyah’s service. Fatin will do whatever she can to save Zarah even if it means having Eirik hate her.
Eirik comes to realize that Fatin had her reasons for his capture. Despite himself, he’s very attracted to her. Slowly Fatin begins to trust him and together they will work to bring down Aliyah and rescue Zarah while trying not to fall in love, although they may have no choice in the matter because they can’t stop enjoying each other’s bodies every chance they get.
I really have to hand it to Delilah Devlin for her world building and terminology. Enslaved by a Viking is quite the sci-fi adventure tale. Things are intense here from the emotions displayed, to the amount of sex that occurs. Eirik and Fatin have a bond straight from the beginning. This plot trope is well known in romance because Fatin has the magic hoo haa.
The moment Eirik slides home in Fatin’s magic hoo haa, he’s a goner. His heart belongs to her (before he admits it) although he’s forced to service women. You’d also think there would be a few sex scenes with male on male sex because it’s pointed out by Aliyah that Eirik would also have to service men, but that’s never shown.
The sex is plenty, but it’s pretty much vanilla, meaning more missionary positions and nothing too kinky or disturbing. There are a lot of gyrating bodies and fluids being shared, pooled, flooded or dripping in any which way. Also Eirik and Fatin are great together both naked and when they’re swiping insults at one another.
This lusty Vikings in space tale was a pretty solid read with some kick to it with many weeping women folds and drippy manhood tools. A nice change of pace for me, and perhaps you may feel the same.
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1 edition (October 4, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0425243176