The Amazon’s Curse, by Gena Showalter, is part of Showalter’s Atlanis series. It is available in e-book form or as part of a larger printed text by Showalter titled Into the Dark, which also features two tales from Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series and a special Lords of the Underworld guide.
The Amazons’ Fortress
The Amazon’s Curse is mostly set inside of the compound belonging to the all-female warriors known as the Amazons. The compound is a large series of tents hidden by the surrounding forest. Some of the tents are private dwells for the warrior women, but the most expansive area is reserved for battle. In The Amazon’s Curse the battle tent is used by the warrior women, tagged warrioresses by Showalter, as they compete for their choice of mate. The story opens as the women are preparing to enter the battle tent for a last-woman-standing contest.
The narrator introduces the leading lady, Nola, as one of the Amazon warrior women who wish to mate with Zane, handsome, muscular, immortal, and captured. However, Nola is unable to participate in the contest and she is the only one who has reason to want him. She is the only one there who even knows him. Her sisters only choose him for his strength, a trait they hope to pass on to their daughters, if only they could prevent his offspring from feeding on blood.
Oh yeah, Zane is a vampire. He was once the favorite slave of the demon queen which leaves him emotionally timid if not void. Physical contact disgusts him; he even drinks blood from a glass, so as not to touch his lips to another’s skin. Yet, he is about to become a sperm donor for a new generation of Amazon women, a torturous thought in itself.
The Amazon’s Curse
Since Nola cannot battle to win Zane, she wants to help him escape so that he will not spend the rest of his life loathing. Lately though Nola has an issue. She has a curse. She is always present but is not to be seen, heard, or felt. She is, by consequence, invisible. She is accustomed to feeling alone though because of her unfortunate childhood. For her, intimacy is as unwelcome as it is unfamiliar.
Both Nola and Zane are unable trust a mate, unable to love a mate, and yet something keeps bringing them together. If Nola hopes to liberate Zane, she must learn how to break her curse. Zane knows he needs Nola, but in truth Nola needs Zane just as much. Readers should enjoy the process of discovery occurring with these two characters as they begin to close old wounds and learn to open their hearts to one another.
Source
- Gena Showalter. The Amazon’s Curse. Published within Into the Dark. Harlequien Books S.A. 2010.
Lingtoya Alexander - With a bachelor's degree in English Literature, I now write for the challenge. I hope you find my contributions helpful if not ...
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