Sword and Crown
Ellora’s Cave
ISBN #9781419908897
Genre: Erotic, Fantasy
Length: Short Novel
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Sword and Crown is a fantasy novella based on the Queen of Swords Tarot Card - The Queen of Swords has been through many trials, many conflicts in her life. She has weathered them with strength and courage. She’s lost loved ones and experienced pain but those experiences have made her stronger. She is realistic and pragmatic, she is a loyal friend and determined ally. She is also intelligent, rational and has a cutting wit. This card, this woman, is extraordinarily astute and forthright and does not play games or tolerate falsehoods. She looks beyond the face others present and sees deeply into their true natures. This makes many uncomfortable. Her blunt nature is often considered aloof or cold when really she is simply very discriminating about who she lets into her inner life.
The Queen of Swords is portrayed on her card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck as standing. Light glints off her sword and crown, showing the relationship between truth (light) her thoughts (crown) and her actions (sword) amongst the swirling air that governs her suit. Oftentimes she bears a third eye of intuition, a sixth sense of wisdom. Butterflies symbolizing change after incubation fly around her. She has been through hard times and has become stronger, she is able to cut through illusions with clarity.
Rhea is a Queen of Swords woman. She’s a woman who’s discovered strength and wisdom through the trials she’s been through in her life. In Sword and Crown she’s on the verge of a change. She must reconcile who she used to be as a young woman to the changed person she is today. Her world exists in peril and she must greet that as a woman with her past as not a burden, but armor.
For most of Rhea’s life, she used her Talent as a Practitioner of sex magic to keep her world safe from a powerful dark menace. But tragedy struck and she found herself exiled to Earth.
Fifteen years later, out of the blue, a face from her past appears on her doorstep. The Nameless is back and stronger than before. Her people need her and they’ve sent her first love, Jax, to petition for her help.
As the stakes get higher with the balance of the very existence of her universe in her hands, she’s also fighting the loss of her heart to a man who walked away from her once before. She knows her past has changed her in elemental ways but while she knows she can trust Jax at her back, she has to figure out if she can trust him with her heart.
Suddenly she sat up on a gasp. The room darkened.
“It’s here.”
The wall of magic they’d been weaving tighter wavered. Weakened. Fear replaced pleasure and the spell began to break down.
“Rhea, focus.” Jax’s voice was urgent. He felt her trying to regain control but it wasn’t working. If she failed, they’d die and make the Nameless even stronger.
He pressed her back to the bed and kissed her hard, lining his cock up and pressing into her deep and hard.
“You’re mine. I control your pleasure, Rhea. That thing does not get you. Now I’m going to fuck you like you’ve wanted me to for two decades. You got me?” His voice was a low growl in her ear and he felt her body respond, felt her magic stop wavering and begin to flow out again.
She was so tight and hot he didn’t know how long he’d last. He wanted it to be hours, she felt so good around his cock. He knew he’d have to fuck her a few hundred times more before he got anywhere near sated with her.
Holding her wrists above her head, he thrust into her cunt relentlessly. Sweat trickled down his spine, his orgasm began to build at the base of his balls. She writhed beneath him, making soft sounds of whimpered pleasure around the spell she whispered.
Grinding his pubic bone into hers, he felt the swollen bundle of her clit. She rolled her hips up with a gasp and the Talent streamed from her, stronger. The room was no longer as dark and the stench had lessened. He moved his attention back to her, to making her come.
“Come for me, Rhea. Your pleasure is mine, give it to me.” Leaning down, he took a nipple between his teeth and she thrust back at him, rubbing her cunt against him, straining against his body to get the friction on her clit.
He was so close his control hung by a thread as she arched and writhed, and suddenly a cry broke from her lips as her pussy clamped down on him. Orgasm claimed her and a last burst of magic overflowed from them both when his climax exploded from the head of his cock.
In the aftermath he collapsed against her, face buried in the crook of her neck. Her pulse pounded under his lips. He stayed, buried deep within her, her pussy still spasming around his cock, until he began to soften.
“Thank you.” Her words were quiet.
He rolled to the side and looked at her. “It wasn’t very finessed of me. Next time we’ll make it better. I’ll take my time. I only got the barest taste of your pussy.” He grinned.
“Thank you for helping me focus my magic.” Her lips were pursed, he couldn’t tell if it was ire or she was trying not to laugh. “If you hadn’t taken over like that it would have broken through.”
Contessa at Fallen Angel Reviews gives SWORD AND CROWN five angels and says in part: The sexual tension between Rhea and Jax were scorching hot and erotically passionate. I took great pleasure in watching Rhea and Jax’s story unfold, feeling their emotional turmoil and seeing how they were willing to try to overcome numerous misunderstandings, past betrayal and massive heartache. I found Sword and Crown to be a compelling story and I was hooked from the start.
Serena at Fallen Angel Reviews gives Sword and Crown FIVE angels and says in part: Lauren Dane has brought to life yet another amazing story. The world that she’s built is real and consistent to the point of allowing me to become lost in it. I was pulled in by the characters and the vivid descriptions that I have come to expect from her.
Jo at Joyfully Reviewed says of SWORD AND CROWN: Sword and Crown has equal parts fantasy, suspense, action, eroticism and the most important ingredient – love found again. I have never gone wrong by picking up one of Ms. Dane’s books and this was no exception. You will love Sword and Crown – I did.
Jennifer at RRT Erotic says of SWORD AND CROWN:An intriguing and erotic tale, SWORD AND THE CROWN brings together two former lovers to battle evil. (…) SWORD AND CROWN is an engaging tale that should not be missed.
Tara Renee at Two Lips Reviews gives SWORD AND CROWN four and a half lips and says in part: Sword and Crown by Lauren Dane is about betrayal and forgiveness and the power of love. (…) Lauren Dane expertly weaves the passion with magic to create and enticing story. I am very eager to read more of this new world and to hopefully revisit the characters she brings to life.
Chrissy at Romance Junkies gives SWORD AND CROWN four ribbons and says in part: SWORD AND CROWN is part of the TORRID TAROT series and this story is a futuristic wonder. (…) Lauren Dane knows how to pen a story that gets the readers revved up and wanting more.
Annie at The Romance Studio gives SWORD AND CROWN four hearts and says in part: Lauren Dane crafts an exciting and tantalizing tale which will captivate the attention of readers and maintain it throughout. An excellent job of weaving the background of the Queen of Swords Tarot card into the premise of the story makes the tale that much more intriguing. Certainly no reader can fault both hero and heroine, who are strong-willed, powerful, independent, and gorgeous! Their push-me-pull-you tension is a sight to see and read, and the reader will be enraptured to discover the outcome of their relationship, as well as the solution to the alternate dimension’s danger in The Nameless. Sword and Crown is a tale well worth its reading.
Nicole at My Book Cravings gives SWORD AND CROWN four roses and says in part: The way Lauren Dane can write a story to flow and build even when it is a shorter story is just proof of what an awesome author she is.
Ann at Just Erotic Romance Reviews gives Sword and Crown 4 stars and says in part: Sword and Crown is a unique and entertaining story. (…) The sex between them is even hotter because of their use of sex magic. They may be working through their differences but their chemistry never died. Sword and Crown gives the reader a story of second chances at forgiveness and love.
NJ Walters says of Sword and Crown: Lauren Dane does an amazing job building a world that is absolutely fascinating. Her characters are always multi-dimensional with many layers.