Rogue Reviews Digest No. 36 - April 17, 1999
NOTICE
If you are easily offended, not of the required legal age, or
material of an erotic nature is illegal where you are, then do not
read what follows.
CONTENTS
Mailing List Information
Ratings
Note
Reviews
"Black Widow" by Miss Behavin'
"Evidence of Betrayal" by Anne Arbor
"Getting Wet" by Belfast Bloke
"How the Frog became a Frog" by The Writer
"Mousehunt/Dragonslayer" by Beltorion
"The Shaver III" by Al Steiner
"To the Victor" by Shon Richards
*****
MAILING LIST INFORMATION
I send my reviews individually, when I finish them, to the Sex Stories
Discussion List. If you are interested in joining there is a form for
doing so on my home page.
* Home Page - http://www92.pair.com/leevine/rogue-reviews/
* E-Mail - santiago@switchboardmail.com
*****
RATINGS
Part 1. OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
SCORE = AROUSAL SCORE + STORY SCORE
AROUSAL SCORE
0 Not
1 Barely
2 A Little
3 Somewhat
4 Very
5 Extremely
STORY SCORE
0 This barely resembles a story
1 Definitely lacking, but its possible it has a redeeming quality
2 Effort is evident, but I have some problems with this story
3 Nothing exceptional, but on the other hand there are no major flaws
4 Well crafted, but is missing something, or something does not work entirely
5 Beautifully crafted, it does not seem to be missing anything
Part 2. SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
Not Good = This was a waste of my time, don't bother reading it
Good = This is a good attempt, but I don't recommend it
Very Good = If you have the time or like this variety of story then I
recommend this story, otherwise I would go with something that I rate
as Excellent or Outstanding
Excellent = I recommend that you read this story, and I really liked it, but
it did not give me the same feeling that an outstanding story does.
Outstanding = This story was not only enjoyable, but it also gave me a
special feeling that I cannot describe
~~~
Note that there is not necessarily a direct correlation between
the objective analysis and the subjective analysis. On the other hand
the terms objective and subjective as I have used them are relative and
not absolute terms. In other words the objective analysis is more objective
than the subjective one, and vice versa. This new system may not work in
the long run, but for the moment I am going with it.
This still does not get to one of MichaelD38's criticisms, which is how
much better is an Outstanding than an Excellent, and Excellent than a
Very Good, etc. To be perfectly honest I'm not sure myself. All I
know is that I like Outstanding stories better than Excellent ones, etc.
I have a hard time quantifying "like", or "love" for that matter. I
can tell you if I liked something better than something else. I can
tell you why I did. I can't put on a number on it however and say that
I liked it 20% more or twice as much. That just does not work for me.
BTW you may have noticed that I have dropped Grudgingly Good from my
rating system. That rating really represented a case where I did not
like a story, but only because I was revolted or disgusted by the subject
matter. With the new system I'll just say under the Subjective Analysis
that a story was Not Good. The Arousal score is somewhat subjective, so
that score may suffer, but I think that I can recognize good writing
even when it revolts me.
*****
REVIEWS
-----
Rogue Review No. 349 - April 8, 1999
Mousehunt/Dragonslayer by Beltorion
M/F
Length: 5,200 words
Objective Analysis: 9 {out of 10)
Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
Story: 5 (out of 5)
Stroke: Yes
Subjective Analysis: Excellent
SUMMARY
Late one night a young man, presumably in his twenties, comes to the
rescue of his neighbor, Julie. She has a mouse scurrying around her
apartment. The narrator takes care of the mouse and then, with
Julie's approval, claims his reward.
COMMENTARY
This is a very arousing story. I liked the soft touches that author
includes. They make the story more realistic. The characters seem
to have more on the brain than just rutting. I think this makes the
story more arousing.
This is a very well written story. I like both the characters. They
seem real and not too far fetched. The plot is a simple one, but I
liked it. It flows nicely and has enough twists and turns to make it
an enjoyable read.
This is a fun read. If you like romantic sex stories, then you'll
probably like this one. I was impressed by both the quality of the
writing and the nature of the story. It belongs on my A-list.
LINKS
Mousehunt/Dragonslayer
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=462304173&fmt=raw
-----
Rogue Review No. 350 - April 10, 1999
Getting Wet by Belfast Bloke
M/F, Teen
Length: 4,900 words
Objective Analysis: 7 {out of 10)
Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
Story: 3 (out of 5)
Stroke: Yes
Subjective Analysis: Good
SUMMARY
A young man, presumably in his late teens, arrives at his friend's
house soaking wet. His friend isn't home, but his friend's 15-year-
old sister Katie is. The narrator seems shocked when Katie insists
that he take off all his clothes in front of her. Eventually he
mellows.
COMMENTARY
This is a very arousing story. The fact that the narrator seems to
have some sense of loyalty to his friend made the situation more
interesting. Katie's forwardness also made the story more arousing.
There are things I liked about this story and things I didn't. I
liked the plot. It could probably flow more smoothly, but I still
liked it. It seems logical enough. I liked the characters. They
seem realistic enough, for the most part.
I did not like the fact that the author did not have a line break or
an indentation at the beginning of each paragraph. I also felt that
the narrator did a bit too much "mind reading" instead of just
describing how he was feeling or what he saw. There is also the fact
that the narrator twice takes off his jeans without seeming to put
them back on after his removes them the first time. It sounds like a
neat trick, but I think it would have been less distracting if this
problem had been eliminated in the editing process.
The author is from Ireland, or so he seems to imply by his moniker.
Some of the vocabulary in the story also leads one to believe that
the author is from the British Isles. What I am trying to get at it
is that there is a good deal of slang and other terms used that most
Americans are unfamiliar with. There is nothing wrong with that. It
probably makes the story more attractive to some people. Personally,
I struggled with the vocabulary. The struggle made the story a
little less fun to read.
I enjoyed reading this story. If you have an easier time with the
language then you might like this story more than I did. I have
given it a Good, under Subjective Analysis.
LINKS
Getting Wet
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=455562484&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=455562487&fmt=raw [2/2]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20592.txt [1/2]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20593.txt [2/2]
-----
Rogue Review No. 351 - April 11, 1999
How the Frog became a Frog by The Writer
M/F, M/F/F
Length: 2,300 words
Objective Analysis: 6 {out of 10)
Arousal: 3 (out of 5)
Story: 3 (out of 5)
Stroke: No
Subjective Analysis: Good
SUMMARY
This is the story of how the frog became a frog. He once was a
human. It involves sex.
COMMENTARY
This is a somewhat arousing story. There are sex scenes in this
story, but my impression was that the author is trying to tell a
story that involves sex. The story seems to come first and the sex
second. In other words, it is not a stroke story.
This is a good effort. It has a plot, which flows a bit too quickly.
It felt rushed. The characters are nothing exceptional. They are
the stock type characters one usually finds in fairy tale. There is
a queen, a king, a jester, a witch, etc. Still, all in all, it is a
creative story. The sex serves the plot and not the other way
around.
This was a fun read for me. I found myself somewhat aroused, but I
was more taken in by the plot. If you are looking for something that
is not a stroke story and enjoy fairy tales, then you might like this
one. I have given this story a Good under Subjective Analysis.
LINKS
How the Frog became a Frog
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=461110607&fmt=raw
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20887.txt
Fantasy Erotic Fiction
* http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/3646/
-----
Rogue Review No. 352 - April 13, 1999
The Shaver III by Al Steiner
F/F, F/F/M
Length: 10,000 words
Objective Analysis: 7 {out of 10)
Arousal: 2 (out of 5)
Story: 5 (out of 5)
Stroke: No
Subjective Analysis: Very Good
SUMMARY
Jen has her doubts when she goes to a party with Charlie, her sister-
in-law. Charlie is a firefighter and the party is thrown by some of
her friends. Jen, on the other hand, is married and lives a rather
sheltered life. Charlie has more in mind than just showing her
sister-in-law how the other half lives.
COMMENTARY
If you have not read The Shaver and The Shaver II, then I recommend
you do so before reading this story.
This story is a little arousing. It is not replete with descriptions
of sex or arousing situations. I got the impression that Jen is not
comfortable in her surroundings; this served to make me equally
uncomfortable. I had a hard time getting aroused by the majority of
this story.
The story itself is well written. It focuses around Jen and how she
develops as a character. It is told through an alcoholic blur. She
would rather be somewhere else, but accepting that she isn't she
tries to make the best of a bad situation. There is a plot. It is
reasonably well paced. I wish there had been more dialogue in the
story. The author does a great job of setting the tone through Jen's
descriptions, but I prefer to be given varying opinions and have to
pick among them. What dialogue there is, seems to facilitate the
plot as much as does Jen's development as a character.
I liked this story, but not because I found it arousing. This author
has a knack for telling a story from a single perspective. Internal
conflicts make a story compelling, but external conflicts can be just
as compelling. I prefer to see a little of both. By the way, if you
are looking for stroke material, I advise you look elsewhere. The
first two installments of The Shaver resembled stroke stories. This
one does not. I have placed it on my B-list because it is so well
written.
LINKS
The Shaver III
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464290773&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464290801&fmt=raw [2/2]
-----
Rogue Review No. 353 - April 14, 1999
Evidence of Betrayal by Anne Arbor
F/M
Length: 1,900 words
Objective Analysis: 9 {out of 10)
Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
Story: 5 (out of 5)
Stroke: No
Subjective Analysis: Very Good
SUMMARY
Kathy finds evidence that her husband has been unfaithful.
COMMENTARY
This is a very arousing story. Kathy frankly admits that she enjoys
sex and the author does a wonderful job relating Kathy's fond
memories of sex. The tone of the story helps to balance out the
descriptions of sex.
This is well written. Kathy develops as a character concurrently
with the exposition of the plot. Both are nicely paced. I enjoyed
the twists and turns that the story takes. It is beautifully done.
The details that the author includes made it feel very realistic.
This is not stroke material.
This story drew me in because it is well written and because I found
it very arousing. Personally, I would have preferred something a bit
longer and more involved. That is my personal preference. This
story works at this length. I have given it a Very Good, under
Subjective Analysis.
LINKS
Evidence of Betrayal
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=324524108&fmt=raw
Anne Arbor's Sandbox
* http://members.tripod.com/~AnneArbor/
-----
Rogue Review No. 354 - April 15, 1999
To the Victor by Shon Richards
M/F
Length: 8,000 words
Objective Analysis: 6.5 {out of 10)
Arousal: 3/5
Plot and Characters: 2/5
Editing: 5/5
Stroke: Yes
Subjective Analysis: Not Good
SUMMARY
A bunch of guys, who recently graduated from high school, bowl
together for the last time, before taking off for college. To make
the evening a little more interesting one of the guys hires an
escort. She goes to the victor.
COMMENTARY
This is a somewhat arousing story. The author does a decent job with
the sex scenes. Unfortunately, the plot and characters do not
measure up to the sex scenes. The result is that in my eyes there
was a lack of balance in the story.
I had some problems with this story. On the up side, the plot isn't
too complex. On the down side, the characters are a bit lacking.
They seemed too simplistic; more types, than actual people. The
action of the story is also a bit choppy. The key elements are
there, but they seem to need further refinement.
Well, I'm not too crazy about this story. The plot and the
characters were not compelling enough to catch my interest. In the
final analysis it seems that the story was lacking. If the plot
sounds like one that might interest you and you aren't as picky as I
am when it comes to plot and characters, then you may like this
story. I have given it a Not Good.
LINKS
To the Victor
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=466028998&fmt=raw
-----
Rogue Review No. 355 - April 16, 1999
Black Widow by Miss Behavin'
F/M, F/M/M
Length: 11,000 words
Objective Analysis: 9 (out of 10)
Arousal: 5/5
Plot and Characters: 3/5
Editing: 5/5
Stroke: Yes
Subjective Analysis: Excellent
SUMMARY
Valerie, the black widow, is on the prowl. Her intended prey is
Randy, an accountant. Just when Valerie is ready to pounce, Steve,
a friend of Randy's, conveniently enters the story. Momentarily,
Valerie the Fearless hesitates before...
COMMENTARY
This is an extremely arousing story. The author does a nice job of
building up to the sex. In particular, I was rather aroused by
Valerie's lack of inhibitions, when it comes to sex. There is
something to be said for the author's ability to describe sex scenes,
both graphically and emotionally.
This is a well written story. More time is spent on characters than
on plot. The point of view is tossed around like a hot potato.
Often, the focus shifts every other paragraph. Distinguishing
between Steve and Randy becomes a challenge, especially during the
menage-a-trois.
My biggest gripe with this story is the ending. It is moralistic and
unnecessary. It gave me the impression that the author was trying to
blame her characters' actions on a higher power. Maybe I'm reading
too much into the ending, but the bottom line is that I didn't care
for it.
There may not be much to the plot and the characters don't seem to
have much reason to live, other than sex, but I certainly enjoyed
this story. It was extremely arousing, well enough conceived and
very well edited. I have given it an Excellent under Subjective
Analysis.
LINKS
Erotic Stories by Miss Behavin'
* http://over.to/missbehavin/
*****
4/17/99