Review: Dark Citadel (Master of the Shadowlands #2)

After Kari breaks up with her date during Beginner's Night at Club Shadowlands, she's given the option to continue with an experienced dominant. Despite her steamy fantasies about BDSM, the inexperienced schoolteacher plans to simply observe. Yet under the unyielding hands of Master Dan, she not only participates, but gives him everything he asks for. There is nothing she can hide from him. Not her passion...or her love. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme and content (including/not limited to bondage, caning, restraint, spanking, tethering) exhibitionism, voyeurism

Making the Grade: B

For My Thoughts

Master Dan, Dan he’s the man, if he can’t get you off, then no one can. Wait I take that back. I’m pretty sure ANY of the Masters at Shadowlands could do the job with a look, a quirk of their brow or merely the threat or the promise of dishing out some punishment.

Dark Citadel is book two in Ms. Sinclair’s series about some of the hottest Doms on the face of the earth at the exclusive and private club The Shadowlands and the women who capture their hearts. As in the previous book, the heroine Kari seems to be your average, everyday woman with a normal career as a school teacher and as most woman do, she has self image and body issues. Luckily so far the Masters at Shadowlands seem to have a penchant for curvy women.

Looking to spice up their sex life Kari and her current boyfriend Buck decide to try out the Shadowlands and see if the Dom/s lifestyle is for them.It’s not long before Dom wannabe Buck gets carried away by the experience (and not in a good way) and before Kari can say Yes, Master she finds herself getting a whole new education experience courtesy of Master Dan the Man.

Big bad Dom Dan has a bit of a rep for being a loner since his wife died. He partakes of the pleasures at Shadowlands, but never with the same sub twice. When he notices Kari's not really “feeling it” during a scene with Buck the Schmuck, Master Dan rises to the challenge of initiating Kari into the lifestyle available at Shadowlands and takes matters into his own hands.

Master Dan works slowly towards the goal of building a trusting relationship between him and Kari. He pushes her boundaries, delivers punishments for disobedience and rewards for good behavior. He watches, listens, interprets the meaning behind gasps and moans and twitches all in the name of learning what his little subbie needs and wants...sometimes it seems like he and all the Doms really are mind readers.

Sure this lifestyle isn’t for everyone and some of the scenes being played out at Shadowlands are not for the faint of heart (there is nothing vanilla about the sex in Ms. Sinclair’s books that I’ve discovered so far) just like reading about this lifestyle wont be for everyone. It seems to me that this lifestyle within the context of these books is a win win for everyone. Shadowlands is an upscale, safe and secure club with monitors and a save word and no one is holding a gun to these subs heads. They get the experience and payoff of their lives from some of the best Doms in the business and if it wasn’t an extremely satisfying experience - hey they don’t have to keep going back.

Trust is a two way street and in Dark Citadel Kari’s not the only one who learns to trust her feelings and open up her heart. Master Dan finds the will to smile again. Like I said win win.