“Love knows no boundaries and no distance; miles and obstacles mean absolutely nothing in the face of love.”~ unknownIf you were unsatisfied with your present life and had the ability to travel through time searching for a more fulfilling existence, would you chance it? When Russ of Ariel Tachna's book 'Cha^teau d’Eternite´' discovers that he has the ability to travel through time, he embraces the idea. Being a student of history, he thinks that it will be interesting to visit different places in time; but what he wasn't expecting was to stay in any given place and time until he meets Quentus Maximus. Lured by his charm and a sense of usefulness, he makes plans to stay in Ancient Rome indefinitely.Quentus considers Russ a gift from the Gods and cares for him like a treasured pet. He makes sure all of Russ's physical needs are met, especially in bed. Quentus is an ardent, lover but concerned with Russ's satisfaction as well as his own. This is nice for Russ to a point, but he begins to resent the way Quentus orders him around and has to be in control of every situation. Russ wants to be a vital part of the household, not just a kept man. Quentus is oblivious to how he treats Russ. He considers it normal for anyone under his care. He can't fathom Russ's discontent and frustration with their relationship.Russ wants to be on equal footing with Quentus, not inferior or superior to him. He works hard to prove himself, not only to Quentus, but, also, to his friends. He realizes he can never be equal in strength, but he's smart and has the advantage of having studied history; he knows what's going to happen during the political unrest that Quentus and his allies are presently dealing with and comes up with some strategies that they hadn't thought of. As Russ's tactics and instincts prove to be advantageous, slowly but surely, they come to appreciate him and include them in their group. As time goes by, Russ realizes that he is in love with Quentus and wants an opportunity to explore his feelings. He has to make a choice whether to go back to his old, boring, lonely life, or follow his heart and stay with Quentus.Although not exactly what I expected, this is a very romantic, passionate story. I had a difficult time getting a real feel for Russ. His character was hard to grasp. He wanted to be in Ancient Rome, but tried to make his relationship with Quentus as if he were in the 21st century. I'm happy that he found fulfillment there, but I couldn't get too excited about him as a person. Quentus, on the other hand, was the epitome of how I picture a commanding officer in the Roman army to be. I didn't see him as being macho, just for the sake of it. For him, it was the most effective way to get things done. The wonderful surprise with him was the gentle, kind way he treated those under his care and his love and support for Russ. In my opinion, Russ was very lucky to find a man like Quentus.I'd recommend this book to those who enjoy stories about time travel, ancient Roman history, very passionate sex. Thanks, Ariel, for the stimulating visit to the past. When I found this e-book being offered for free, I was excited. I already liked the author's writing, and the blurb on this promised m/m D/s romance with time travel to Roman Gaul, and, hey, these are a few of my favorite things, right? Unfortunately, the execution was not quite as good as I could have hoped. I did like the time travel and the overall plot. The promised D/s turned out to be really more of the stereotypical alpha-male romance hero (this is a different thing from D/s, although I'm having trouble articulating why), which is not my thing. I would also have liked to see more about the culture clash.Roman Gaul turned out not to be especially well-researched. And, okay, I know I'm picky, but Quentus is not a name. Quentus is also described simultaneously as a centurion and a legate and the governor's advisor -- hint: only a couple of these things can be true at the same time.But, hey, it was reasonably cute. Gay Roman time-travel with happy ending! There's probably not too many books like this out there.
What do You think about Chateau D'Eternite (2012)?
This is short but I really like it.The ending seems a HFN, maybe there is gonna be sequel (?).
—nikki
