Review: Syndelle's Possession by Jory Strong

*This is an erotica. Please do a pre-mental age check first before you proceed any further.*

Lol, and I do stress on the MENTAL age check.:)

Published Date: July 27th, 2005
Finished Date: October 31st, 2011
Publishers: Ellora's Cave
Format: ebook
Series: The Angelini #2
My Rating: 3/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
Syndelle Coronado. For Brann O'Ciardha, she is a prize beyond measure, a vampire myth made reality. He knows there will be those who will want to kill her when they learn of the old magic carried within her. But the moment Brann tastes Syndelle's blood and feels her hidden power as his companion Rafael mates with her, he resolves to claim her, to possess her. He's waited centuries to find a female such as Syndelle, and he won't let her escape him. She will be his for all time, bound to him and Rafael by her own nature and the laws that govern both vampire and Angelini alike.


While Rafael is the human mate Syndelle has always dreamed of, Brann is the vampire bogeyman of her nightmares. There's no denying the Angelini magic that has chosen them as her mates, and once claimed, they will crave her as desperately as she will crave them. But Syndelle intends to have more from Rafe and Brann than just their lust, she wants their love, and she intends to be viewed as their equal.


Note: This book contains graphic male/male sexual interaction.

My Review

Let's be clear about one thing - I am not a fan of menage or m/m eroticas, so I didn't really enjoy the sex scenes in SYNDELLE'S POSSESSION. And since the sex scenes are a major part of the book, I didn't like the book all that much. Yes, yes, I know the synopsis clearly stated that there will be "graphic male/male sexual interactions", but I didn't really read the synopsis in detail, so I missed that out. Sigh.

Syndelle's parents lost one of their daughters long ago, so they have been overprotective of Syndelle since she was a kid. They've tried giving her the blood of her vamp father's, and that, incidentally, made her The Masada - some person that will be invaluable to any vamp that has her in their possession. Which made them even more protective of her. So Syndelle has led a sheltered life, tho trained in the ways of combat, she isn't a hunter like the rest of her Angelini brothers. That is, until she met Rafael at Bangers, some strip club in LA, and subsequently, Rafe's vamp master, Brann.

Rafe is an unwilling human companion to Brann, and if you're wondering, a vamp companion is sort of like a mate for life. Yeah, they're a couple of bi's.... Anyway, Rafe has been feeling very bitter about being the companion to a vamp, and that same vamp has placed a curse on him that stops him from ever coming again only if it's with Brann. So Rafe's eternal life has been tragic, and when he first met Sydnelle at Bangers, he hid all this under this mask of sardonism, which Syndelle eventually helped erode away.

But all is not well in LA, many prositutes have turned up either mutilated or dead - the females are severly disfigured and raped, the males raped and killed - and Syndelle decides to join arms with Skye (from book 1) and shove this mission up its own ass. But they're not alone in this dangerous endeavour, their mates are getting protective, and well, they are all along for the ride.

I liked the plot and Strong's writing style. Always have, and that's what made me go excavate all her other works. It's not only that she writes hot, steamy sexual scenes, but she can also interweave a wonderful, action-filled storyline with it, which I find sorely lacking in other Eroticas. That's why I only read a select few of 'em. And her plots are never those sub-standard, convenient cheap thrillers that are just there to make a story or back the romance up, but very well-thought of and detailed.

I liked that we got to see some of Skye and what her and her mates are up to, and I kinda liked Syndelle a lot more than Skye from SKYE'S TRAIL. Not that I disliked Skye or anything, but Syndelle was a very sweet and understanding girl that hid such courage. Skye was a little disappointed to see that her sis (ok, big spoiler. Skye was the long lost daughter of Syndelle's family) was such a soft, non-kickass girl, but her impression totally changed as she got to know her more.

Rafe was a jerk to Syndelle at the beginning, plus the fact that he's bi didn't endear him to me (No offense to any bi's reading this. I just feel a little uncomfortable when I read about a bi's sex life in detail). He insulted Syndelle's pride and all, but as I've said, it's all the sardonic facade he keeps on to protect himself from a horrific past, so when the mask is removed and he starts to get tender toward Syndelle, you'd just want to sit there and," Awwwwww."

Lol, but well, as I've said, I'm not a fan of m/m's, so when Brann and Rafe ahem, I just get turned-off.

One good thing came out of being sarcastic (talking about Rafe). He is so witty! I loved all his snark remarks and sarcastic comebacks, they're genius! And hilarious. Lol.

Example: "This is a residence hotel?" Syndelle asked, taking in the despair-coated walls, and the sunken, hopeless nature of the people she saw sitting on their small porches, smoking, or drinking, or simply staring into space.

"Residence hotel. Shithole," Rafe said. "Take your pick." (For some reason, I found this really funny. Might be the exam stress frying my brain.)

Other than the fact that Strong delved too fast into the lust and romance between the trio, I thought that the book was good. Slightly above average. A quick, fast read that menage/ m-m-f lovers will enjoy a lot.

My Rating