Journeyman’s Ride is a steampunk Western paranormal erotic novella published on 4/25/11 by Carina Press. I received my copy free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for writing a review. Marie Harte has published several erotic romances for Ellora’s Cave, Loose-I.D., and Samhain. This is her first book for Carina. Here’s the description:
Once a footloose journeyman who travelled between worlds, Danner has seen better days. He’s on the outs with the dogs [sic. I think she means "gods" here] for a mistake not his fault. Stuck without his Ride in a world sorely lacking, he makes due helping folks wherever he can. He’s used to dealing with godbolts that come from the sky, taunting deities, and blood ravens that cackle for hours, making his life a living hell. But the arrival of a mysterious beauty on the steam locomotive changes everything.
Mechanical spyders, cannibals, pissed off gods, and blessed lightning are all in a day’s work for Danner. But the love that strikes when he looks at Miranda is impossible to resist. Now if he can just keep her safe from the immoral jackass out to get him, he’ll help her rescue a princess and free herself from the bonds of servitude. All in a day’s work for a journeyman. Because as they say, a journeyman’s life is never dull.
Perhaps you can tell from this blurb what is both attractive and problematic about this novella. There is a lot going on — too much: Norse mythology, the Old West, steampunk, and elements of Regency romance. Danner, the son of Odin, “the father of the Gods”, is a Journeyman, who has been punished for sleeping with a married goddess. The punishment involves taking away his “Ride” — his ability to transport back and forth between the gods’ world and earth. But he can still absorb deadly godbolts and use his power over lightning to guide humans across the dangerous, unsettled West.
Miranda, a white blond beauty from the East, steps off the steam train in Endville and offers Danner payment to guide her to the Crystal Palace, where her cousin Clarissa, a selfish and vain princess, is being held by Western Prince Philippe. Miranda is — she thinks — the bastard child of Clarissa’s father, but was never recognized by the king, and has been forced to serve Clarissa her entire life. The fact that she is willing to literally go to the ends of the earth to retrieve her signals Miranda’s basic goodness.
This is an erotic novella, so we can’t ask more from the worldbuilding than that subgenre and length allow. The author makes a few attempts to connect the disparate elements of this world, such as claiming that the mechanical inventions are brought by the gods to the humans, but mostly they are a random collection. The author has a pretty literal writing style, as evidenced by the names of the places in which the h/h find themselves: “Endville” (the last stop before the Damned Plains), “Damned Plains” (“a sandy mass of death and danger.”), “Last Chance” (“the last town between the Damned Plains and Spyder Haven”, and of course, “Spyder Haven” (the place where … oh never mind).
The romance elements are too familiar: Danner comes off as a tough-guy womanizer, but in fact, he’s got a heart of gold (when reciting the Journeyman’s duties, he includes: “healing the sick, inspiring artists or craftsmen, waging wars against the oppressed”). Why has this good, gorgeous man never fallen in love? The plot requires it He just hasn’t wanted to, until he gets a taste of Miranda. Miranda, too, is moral and physical perfection. At first she’s put off by Danner’s crudeness, but quickly gets over that to enjoy his disco stick. Internal conflict is really nonexistent, although there is some external conflict near the end.
The sexual scenes are also par for the course. And their romance climaxes (heh) with an ero-rom trope I dislike: that to really love someone you must experience what what in the butt:
She blinked up at him with lightning in her eyes, and he knew he’d found the future of all his tomorrows right here. “Then I think it’s time, don’t you?”
In my view, Journeyman’s Ride is competently written and has some interesting elements. The setting and worldbuilding are unusual for erotic romance, and are what drew me to this book. But the too-familiar characters, the lack of conflict between the h/h, and the lack of sexual tension made it ultimately just a so-so read for me.
Related posts:
Shouldn’t that be “he makes do”?
Shouldn’t that be “inspiring artists”?
If he’s got a heart of gold wouldn’t he be waging wars on behalf of the oppressed?
This reminds me of The Pilgrim’s Progress, but it was an allegory, not an erotic novella.
The artists error is mine. I will fix it. I can’t claim credit for the “due” or the waging wars against the oppressed, lol.
Okay, I’m still laughing. I will probably laugh every time I think of it. Thank you, Laura. I needed that.
ETA: Lightning in your eyes has to hurt, don’t you think?
@Sunita:
More than the what what in the butt?
@Rosario: There’s lube available for one of them.
You guys are very funny.
Apparently Moira Rogers has a new steampunk paranormal Old West novella out, which Smart Bitches is hosting a book club on. Who knew this was such a hot sub-genre-genre-genre?
Too funny! As for Steampunk Westerns I really enjoyed M.K. Hobson’s “Native Star”, but it did NOT contain any “what what” in the…anywhere, so seekers of erotica will not be appeased. Nonetheless, it was well written and a fun read. (It was nominated for the Nebula Award, so I’m not alone in my good opinion.)
@pamelia:
I read Native Star and enjoyed it too – much more than Cherie Priest’s series beginning with Boneshaker (which was a steampunk/zombie/western/Seattle [as a non-USAian I think there is a 'Seattle sub-genre in UF and PNR]) which is sad because I like Cherie’s work generally. NS actually made me re-read a little YA romance/ fantasy novel Seer’s Blood from 2000 by Doranna Durgin which is set in an alternative world late 19th century Appalachians facing invasion which is turned back by drawing on forgotten magic inherent in the land
I have read MR’s steam punk/ western/ werewolf/ erotica story and I will be interested in the book group comments. I think the novella format cramped a number of things, not least of which is the relationship development and ‘meh’ sex. I also found the plot had gaps as well as sequel bait that were around the role of the other order werewolf who was conveniently on the spot to solve a number of problems including how to get from one scene to another. There was real imagination at work inthe backstory and the world building but it didn’t come together with the story plot.
And this is the point where I want to see the heroine break out the dildo, buckle up the harness and hand the hero the lube.
“Why, yes, darling. I do think it’s time. Relax…and bend over.”
Seriously, though, if trust issues are really supposed to be explored through anal sex wouldn’t it make just as much if not more sense to have the hero experience penetrative sex? Or does that call the conservative gender roles so often beloved of romance readers too much into question?
@Marie-Thérèse:
This is SUCH a great point. I agree with you 100%!
I thought of this because I just read an erotic PNR from Carina with a lot of the same issues. It was longer (category length) but just too much going on–paranormal world-building + erotic (fairly frequent sex scenes) squeezed out characterization. I loved the premise: vegetarian vampire meets dryad and it wasn’t awful by any means, but didn’t live up to its potential.
AND! Buttsecks. I’m not opposed to it on principle (and I know it’s becoming more common IRL as well as in erotic romance), but I’m opposed to ANY sexual practice being “required” in erotic or other romance. In this case, heroine was presented as someone w/a sheltered upbringing, isolated from her community; she had some sexual experience but it was merely “satisfying.” And I’m supposed to believe she’s tried anal before and is begging hero to “fuck my ass.” That didn’t seem like plausible characterization. When they interrupted lovemaking to break into a store (luckily they were going at in a parking lot) for lube (don’t worry, they left a 20), I started laughing. I didn’t feel like the author even believed in the scene, and I sure didn’t by then. It was like, “lube, check, no one can say we didn’t do our homework on anal.”
Finally, some sex advice columns suggest that guys who want their female partners to try anal SHOULD volunteer to go first, so they understand how to do it better. (I did once read an erotic short with pegging . . . . I was amazed). More alpholes should definitely have someone go there!
@Liz:
Yes, exactly. Boy that premise sounds wonky.
@Liz:
This is how the scene read in Journeyman’s ride.
I know this is going to sound harsh, but in my worst moments I think such books are a checklist of “what is hot right now” : steampunk (check), vamps (check) , anal@Liz: ! (check).
In the immortal words of Sally in the diner, yes, yes, YES!!!!!!!