To Serve and Submit by Susan Wright

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Marja is a beautiful, golden-haired wild-child of the fens, but when her father sells her to a traveling procurer renowned for producing the finest slaves trained in the art of "personal service and pleasure," her quiet existence wandering the bogs is changed forever -- but not in the way she expects…

After being traded for two cows, Marja is brought to the faraway homeland of her new master, Lexander of Vidaris, where he and his cold-hearted consort, Helanas, begin to train her in the carnal arts. Marja, it turns out, is a true submissive; she not only relishes Lexander's strict instruction and sometimes violent punishments but actually falls in love with the man. But even as a perfect slave -- "ever willing, ever compliant" -- Marja's unconditional dedication to her master gets her into deadly trouble when Lexander visits a neighboring chieftain. While helping a noblewoman in peril, Marja finds herself in the middle of a personal conflict that quickly escalates into a looming war. Can a pleasure slave help stop a deadly conflict that she inadvertently started?

As far as pure fantastical erotica is concerned, Wright's To Serve and Submit is nowhere near as sexually "unfettered" and unabashedly fetishistic as works like Anne Bishop's Black Jewels novels, the Beauty's Release trilogy by A. N. Roquelaure (a.k.a. Anne Rice), or Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy saga (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, et al.); nonetheless, fantasy and romance fans alike should thoroughly enjoy this sensual expedition into the realm of domination and subservience. Paul Goat Allen

From the Publisher

Marja was born a child of the fens, young, beautiful, and free. Her days were spent working with her poor family and communing with the ethereal olfs-the playful spirits of the land-until Lexander, a procurer for the pleasure house of Vidaris, comes to her small village and purchases her from her father.

At Vidaris, Marja is schooled as a slave in the arts of seduction and carnal delight-and discovers her nature as a true submissive. But when Lexander grants Marja her freedom, she finds herself swept away in a torrent of betrayal and intrigue that threatens her beloved land. And Marja will have to use all her strength, skills, and cunning to survive in the war that is about to engulf them all.

Publishers Weekly

Set in a vaguely Nordic world that eventually comes into better focus, Wright's tepid erotic fantasy, the first in a two-book series, follows the adventures of Marja, "born a wild child of the fens," who willingly leaves her backwater home to become a pleasure slave. True to formula, Marja falls in love with her master, Lexander, who returns her love and eventually sets her free. Marja seeks help from a young noblewoman, Silveta, to whom Marja brings both salvation and misfortune. When Silveta's chieftain husband is murdered, our heroes must undertake a journey to save Silveta from the foul warlord Birgir Barfoot. A climactic battle proves more exciting than most of the carnal encounters, which are oddly coy, nearly sexless and brief. One can only hope that Wright (Slaves Unchained) will turn up the heat in the sequel. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Sold by her parents to the Vidarian slave master Lexander, Marja discovers within herself the need to surrender, not only to her master's commands but to her own sensual desires. When Lexander realizes that his newest slave has fallen in love with him-and that he echoes the feeling-he introduces Marja to the greater world of intrigue and politics in the Western Maritime Lands, where Marja becomes the protector of an exiled noblewoman who seeks to reclaim her stolen lands and title. Relying on the elusive spirits of the land, the olfs who have been her lifetime companions, Marja learns to walk the fine line between submission and receptivity to new experiences. This first of two books launches a tale of erotic fantasy set in a world that loosely parallels the late Dark and early Middle Ages. Featuring vivid cultures and lots of action, this should appeal to fans of Jacqueline Carey, Terry Goodkind, and Storm Constantine. Explicit sexual situations limit this novel to mature fantasy readers. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Wright's Norse Saga-flavored sex fantasy, the first of a planned two books, makes minimal reference to the bondage/domination themes the title suggests. Young Marja explores the fenlands for bog iron, communing with the olfs (cherub-like spirits) until handsome, exotic merchant Lexander buys her. At Vidaris, Lexander and his cruel partner Helanas (whom the olfs fear and shun) train Marja, a slave among slaves, in the most refined arts of sexual pleasure. Gradually, Marja learns that she is a true sexual submissive, delighting in the attentions of any man or woman-but especially those of Lexander, whom she grows to love. Later, at a celebration, huge, oafish, cunning warrior Birgir Barfoot threatens to rape Lady Silveta. If Silveta refuses to submit, Birgir will slay her husband and claim his holdings. Marja substitutes for Silveta-but come morning, Birgir rages at the deception and beats Marja. Soon, Birgir finds an excuse to kill Silveta's husband anyway, and with his warriors overruns Silveta's loyal bondsmen. Assisted by the olfs, Marja helps Silveta escape; Lexander departs, too, after confessing that he can no longer rear slaves to be shipped to his home, where they are abused and broken by the godlike inhabitants. Hoping to obtain help to oust Birgir and his cutthroats, Silveta, Marja and Lexander sail away to distant lands, even though Marja fears to join her spirit unreservedly with Lexander's since, being a god, he might accidentally trap her in the Otherworld, where mortals cannot abide. Sensual, well-constructed and fairly persuasive.

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