Reviewed:
One of the older gems, this one.
The story quickly moves from an incest set-up to a whole evil Nazi supersoldier programme, with the main character and his daughter on the run as they try to find out the truth and solve the problem of how to deal with Crystal's unusual genetic heritage. It is, in fact, a surprisingly well thought out back story, with justifications for all the sex that are just about enough to make you go 'okay' instead of 'oh really'.
The main characters themselves are quite diverse, and even when there are a few of them on the stage at the same time, they are sufficiently well realised that you never forget who is whom. As for the antagonists, they are really there only for the purpose of being knocked over, but that approach is working well for the MCS, so can't really fault the writer for that.
Technically the story is pretty good for the most part, with occasional homonyms, missing words, and grammar stumbles that are enough that you notice, but not enought to make you quite. Maybe 2 or 3 per chapter.
The sex itself is well done, with some variety, some plot-justified repetations of some acts, and none of the cut-and-paste approach that can be found elsewhere on SOL.
All in all, this is a nice little story. I've now ready it three times, enjoyed it every time, and wish the writer had either carried on Crystal's story, or written more, but as of the date of writing, he seems to have gone quiet some time ago. I hope they're okay, as this was fun.
So, if you like genetics, evil Nazi experimentation (not too gruesome, and most of that off-screen) with a healthy dash of incest and teens, I'd say give it a go.
Reviewed:
After writing a review last night, I tried to wrack my brain for "lost classics" and my thoughts kept returning to Crystal. When I first read it, I didn't appreciate how hard it was to find a "quality" erotic story.
Don't let the story codes scare you off. While sex is a key part of the story, Crystal is by no means a stoker and it's obvious that a lot of thought went into the plot. Bits of historical fiction, genetic engineering, and classic spy-like thriller action are seamlessly woven together into a very entertaining read. There are times when the ages don't quite feel realistic, but this story is better than most when describing teens and it's easy to mentally adjust the ages.
If you're looking for a well written story that offers some interesting things to ponder, I highly recommend Crystal.
P.S. I want to point out that SOL members are privileged to be able to read Crystal for free. It's actually available for sale as a pdf or as bound paperback from Lulu.com
Reviewed: - (Review Updated: )
We meet Nathaniel, a man who lost his wife several years ago, and now pretty much lives for his young daughter Crystal, who is growing up way too quickly. Some pivotal events occur in their relationship, and Nathaniel begins discovering some unique aspects of both his wife's and Crystal's heritage. This all leads to new relationships, serious soul searching, and very difficult decisions. As the story continues to develop we get deeply into Nathaniel and Crystal's battle to survive and have some kind of "normal" lives.
First thing, remember this story has a "sci-fi" code. I had to remind myself of that many times as I read it. There are parts that made me uncomfortable at first reading, and even remembering that it's fantasy and sci-fi, and exchanging email with the author, didn't relieve the tension completely. I suppose that's part of the attraction of the story. It made me sit back and think about it but be warned, there is some material in this story that should cause discomfort.
The character development is very good; we come to care a lot about the protagonists. The author has created a reasonably complete (if fantastic) history and biology for the story (remember, sci-fi). The plot moves forward consistently and leads us to a satisfying conclusion. The sex in the story is well written, but the story isn't just a stroker so I'll rate it a little lower on stroke factor. That rating is in no way negative as far as I'm concerned. Maybe there is a flaw in the rating system if it's viewed that way by anyone else. If there was a chapter by chapter rating, there is one chapter that would blow the scale away. There are a few flaws now and then in wording but nothing that really distracted me so no issues with construction.
This is a love story, with affection, action, sex, and a rather special biology. I enjoyed it in spite of my discomfort.