Re: Wolf Dance
Tuesday, June 6th, 2006
Dear Ann,
The measure of a good writer is one who is able to take a reader into another world, especially a world that the reader is not particularly interested in, and keep them engaged until the last page. I’ve never been a huge fan of science fiction in romance because it just made my head hurt having to figure things out — I’d always wanted a simple plot, nice characters and good sexual tension. I think I keep coming back to your work because my reaction to it keeps surprising me: from contemporary to erotic horror, science fiction, and futuristic, your story telling is what draws me in. Your latest, Wolf Dance, continued the trend for me, and I hope you expand on this world because I’d love to read more about it.
I have to admit, I found myself a bit jealous of Yuki. Yuki is a Nu Seato orphan. Both rescued and damned by scientific experimentation, he now works as a popular exotic dancer in a nightclub. One night while dancing, Yuki is shocked to make a connection with Oram, a dark, dangerous looking stranger in the club with a powerful aura. Oram is beyond hot. While Yuki is the pretty one, Oram’s alpha personality and possessiveness is seductive and the way that he effects Yuki sent tingles down my spine. Oram seeks Yuki out after the show, inviting him to a private party where he’d be the guest of honor. Yuki, overwhelmed by his attraction to Oram, attends the party despite his reservations and while there, learns that his attraction to Oram runs deeper than he could ever imagine.
Wolf Dance focuses more on Yuki’s realization and resolution of past confusions, yet I felt like Oram was the one ultimately saved. On a superficial level, there seemed to be more character development of Yuki than Oram, ie. information about Yuki’s past as an orphan and later as a guinea pig, his brush with death and the wolf that saves him, and his restoration back to living a normal life. However I liked learning about Oram through his candid actions. The tender way Oram treated Yuki spoke more about Oram’s personality than filler text would have.
I agree with you, the ending was a bit corny, but it worked! The character’s histories made is so that the story felt longer than it was, and the ending appropriate, although this could’ve worked just as nicely as a full novel with drama occuring between Yuki and Oram’s camp as their relationship developed. I enjoyed this latest read from you and I was pleased that you kept the same intensity and vibrancy with your m/m love stories. I’ll be looking for more Yaoi stories (hint, hint).
Sincerely, Solaine