Beauty’s Punishment audiobook

High Fantasy, Graphically Sexual, and Exquisitely Detailed… I feel that in this day and age, there are few taboo texts which still exist to embarrass the reader who unapologetically devoured the pages without regard to the outside world… But the Classic Erotic Trilogy of Sleeping Beauty comes as close as possible to that point…Many readers detest these books... I enjoy them! "It was over. The cracks still rang in her ears. She could still feel the paddle as if in a dream. And her sex was like a hollow chamber in which all pleasures she had known left their loud, reverberating echo.” I’ll not go so far as to pretend that these books represent some sort of hallmark for the genre (or of the D/s Lifestyle in general), but they are a journey worth taking if you have the metaphorical balls for it. I’m not even going to try and pretend that I don’t wield these books as a weapon against those who are ignorant enough about the D/s Lifestyle to believe that Fifty Shades of Grey and its fuzzy handcuff contemporaries are a representative of BDSM… Not that those books aren’t entertaining for what they are (Modern Romance with a slightly erotic, slightly kinky kick)… But let’s endeavor to call a spade a spade, people… Before someone gets their pretty little feelings hurt…When I picked up the infamous & highly erotic The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty so many years ago, I did not know that additional books existed in the series. A few weeks ago, Carie Ernst (Who is not a member of GoodReads but I hope by evoking her name, she might magically join the dark side) and I were discussing Erotic Fiction, and she brought up these books. The next time Carie arrived on my doorstep she had the second and third books in hand for my reading pleasure.These books are completely over-the-top graphically sexual & and descriptive to the point of making the reader squirm… However, I find the psychology of the submissive much more accurate in Anne Rice writing as A. N. Roquelaure’s fantasy land than it is often portrayed in the soft-core BDSM-light Erotic Romances which come across my path more frequently.I found Tristan’s chapters “In the House of Nicolas” and “Splendid Equipage” to be amazingly (perhaps morbidly?) fascinating… It was my first foray into horsey-play after all… and a lady never forgets her first.

THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR UNDERAGE OR DELICATE SENSIBILITIES IN THE ROMANCE READERS FOLLOWING!!! IF YOU ARE NOT 18+ OR HAVE STRICT VIEWS ON EROTIC RELATIONS/RELATIONSHIPS - DO NOT READ!!Surprisingly, this becomes not the tale of just Beauty, but of Beauty AND Tristan. Albeit, I wouldn't participate in many of these activities, it is quite arousing in it's psychology of the need to be challenged in subjugation and the raw acceptance in the pain of arousal and "punishment".What I find most confounding is the participation of not just a select few within the village, but of EVERYONE, both in punishment and in fulfillment. How is it that many of those exacting punishment seem to never have been on the subservient side of this equation. Although, it is hinted that villagers are allowed to request to be at the mercy of the Castle, and the royals are given the privilege to also be debased to serve in the Village, thus opening the possibility of more involved in both sides of the equation. Does this make better slaves? Or better Masters/Mistresses? Interesting... and very thought provoking in the steeped desires and fragile loving ties between those mastering and the mastered. I am also slightly amazed at the open sexual gratification of not just one but of many.What a way to end the book by throwing them not only into each others' arms but into the mercy of "pleasure slave" captors of a sultan from across the sea. The closing scene is one of great adventure and of acknowledged love betwixt these two slaves. I think I would have greatly preferred that Anne Rice (writing under the pen-name A. N. Roquelaure) had left the legend of Sleeping Beauty to the myths and fairy tales and chosen a completely untouched figure of her making in this story, as it turns the melodramatic romantic tale of fairy tales into a much twisted and very powerless kingdoms of darker fantasies. I think that it is a much more enticing tale when separated from the tale told to children, even in its miniscule references. All in all, the sexual exploration of this ongoing tale is to be enjoyed with an open mind, if not a hot libido. I know that even as I quaked with the horror that I am sure both Beauty and Tristan, as well as other princes or princesses in this tale, felt with abject humiliation and raging desire; I can only honestly state that I am inspired to try a little spanking myself... HAHAHAHA!!!!

I liked this one much more than the first book, or maybe I should say I liked Beauty much more in this one. Here, we see her exhibit some spirit, occasionally rebelling in order to be given harsher punishments. I could relate more to this side of her. She decided not to always be obedient, perhaps knowing that by pushing back she would reach a greater level of submission than if she meekly obeyed every order. This fascinated me as much as it disturbed me, yet ultimately made me adore her more for it.We also get to see the pov of male slave Tristan, who was also disobedient, but for very different reasons: Tristan longed for a firmer hand, the guidance of someone who could and would truly master him with decisiveness and confidence. Once he found what he sought, he began to find peace and contentment in his position as a slave.Overall this story was more fulfilling, and I found a deeper understanding of the mind and soul of a true submissive. No less whimsical than the first book, it nevertheless told a more in-depth and revealing story. And at times, it was also extremely arousing and thrilling. Though again, I did not wish to be Beauty, there were moments in which I truly envied her.The ending of this story leads to another adventure for both Beauty & Tristan. And I'm glad I already have the book - the last in the series - so I can go on this journey with them.

It's probably best to start of the review of this, the second book in the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, with a section from my review of the first book:"In order to read the Sleeping Beauty series, you mush set aside ALL of your preconceived notions about sex, sexuality, consensual sex-- all if it should have no bearing on this story. This is not "your" story, it is the fictitious account of Sleeping Beauty and the Prince who awakened her (at least in the beginning, after which it becomes a story of multiple "slaves" and their many different views on BDSM.)That above point is the key to not only reading the first book to completion, but the whole series, so I'll say it again: SET ASIDE ALL OF YOUR PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS REGARDING SEX."While I enjoyed the first book, things really got interesting once I acclimated to the unique sexuality views prevalent in the series and the plot hooked into me with deeper purchase. At the end of book one, I immediately started reading this book, despite the fact that it was well past my bed time. For most of the first book, Beauty is safely (or not, depending on your point of view) ensconced in the Royal Palace where the BDSM themes have a royal bent. Until, that is, Beauty does something so inexplicable (and on purpose) to relegate herself to the nearby royal village to continue her servitude. Thus starts this book, with Beauty cast into the wilds of the village, not knowing if the punishments that follow will be something that she can tolerate at all. More character viewpoints are introduced, and some of the originals (like the Prince) are never heard from again. I found the new players in the game enhanced the book and rounded out the full slave experience, and on the whole I think I liked this book the best out of all three. I do feel that I should mention that underneath all the sexual sadism, like the layers of an onion, are the internal struggles among the cast, and their deep longing to understand and fully realize their true selves without the confines of societal norms and expectations. In that sense, these books are wholly literary, even if it's hidden between the supple folds of what some may find to be perversion.

I thought this series was an imaginative take on the sleeping beauty fairy tale. It is so dark. The hard core sex element is not for the faint of heart.

The version of the book I read - I heard to be precise - begins with an introduction that clarifies the writer's intentions. This was one of the reasons I enjoyed it more than the first, but of course not the only one. The main reason is that the book seems to reflect these intentions better. In the first book there was the element of violent erotic fantasy, but on several points things ran out of bounds, and in the end what I read was a description of abuse. This book is quite different in spite of the fact - as the title suggests - that the story revolves around the punishment of our heroes. Expectingly our heroes are facing violent behaviour and many humiliations, but they treat this as the fulfilment of their deepest erotic desires, of their dark fantasies, as something they themselves enjoy in an odd way, which allows the reader to enjoy this book without remorse. There is, of course, within the pages the thought of what it is that can lead us to the search for subjugation and how we can draw pleasure from it, but this is something completely secondary and does not destroy the main purpose of the book. In other words, this book offers pure pleasure, an escape from reality, a dive into a hedonistic world where every fantasy can be fulfilled. Above all It offers all this things with an aesthetically attractive way, so I think it's an ideal erotic reading.Η έκδοση του βιβλίου που διάβασα - άκουσα για την ακρίβεια - ξεκινάει με μία εισαγωγή που ξεκαθαρίζει τις προθέσεις της συγγραφέως. Αυτός ήταν ένας από τους λόγους που το απόλαυσα περισσότερο από το πρώτο αλλά φυσικά όχι ο μοναδικός. Ο κυριότερος λόγος είναι ότι το βιβλίο φαίνεται να αντανακλά αυτές τις προθέσεις καλύτερα. Στο πρώτο βιβλίο υπήρχε το στοιχείο της βίαιης ερωτικής φαντασίωσης αλλά σε αρκετά σημεία τα πράγματα ξέφευγαν από τα όρια και στο τέλος αυτό που διάβαζα ήταν περιγραφή κακοποίησης. Σε αυτό τα πράγματα είναι αρκετά διαφορετικά παρά το γεγονός ότι - όπως φαίνεται από τον τίτλο - η ιστορία περιστρέφεται γύρω από την τιμωρία των ηρώων μας. Αναμενόμενα οι ήρωές μας αντιμετωπίζουν βίαιη συμπεριφορά και πολλές ταπεινώσεις αλλά αυτό το αντιμετωπίζουν ως την εκπλήρωση των βαθύτερων ερωτικών τους επιθυμιών, των σκοτεινών φαντασιώσεων τους, είναι δηλαδή κάτι που οι ίδιοι με έναν περίεργο τρόπο το απολαμβάνουν, κάτι που επιτρέπει στον αναγνώστη να απολαύσει αυτό το βιβλίο χωρίς τύψεις. Υπάρχει βέβαια μέσα στις σελίδες η σκέψη για το τι είναι αυτό που μπορεί να μας οδηγήσει στην αναζήτηση της υποταγής και πώς μπορούμε να αντλήσουμε ηδονή από αυτό, αλλά αυτό είναι κάτι εντελώς δευτερεύον και δεν καταστρέφει τον κύριο σκοπό του βιβλίου. Με άλλα λόγια αυτό το βιβλίο προσφέρει αγνή απόλαυση, η μία απόδραση από την πραγματικότητα, ένα βύθισμα σε έναν ηδονιστικό κόσμο όπου κάθε φαντασίωση μπορεί να πραγματοποιηθεί. Όλα αυτά τα προσφέρει με έναν αισθητικά ελκυστικό τρόπο, για αυτό νομίζω ότι είναι ένα ιδανικό ερωτικό αναγνώσιμα.

I would like to start by saying that I adore Rice's writing style. She uses words in a way that few authors have the capacity to understand, let alone mimic. I also find it impressive that she did such an outstanding job on this novel, given that she wrote it for an academic degree, and that the subject matter is by and large misunderstood in mainstream society.With a nod to Rice's abilities, I will now move to my second point: This book depicts a Grimm-infused view of BDSM. For those who do not participate in the community, or bother to learn the reality of the lifestyle, I would like to point out that few people are able to engage in the kind of "day in and day out" dynamic depicted in the book. Even people who live the lifestyle 24/7 usually have some sort of balancing aspect to their dynamic. When reading this series, look at it as a highly sexual version of Harlequin romances: You know that, no matter what happens, a washboard-abbed cowboy is not going to sweep into your home and present you with his motherless daughter to raise, large ranch on which he needs help, and feather-soft bed which he needs you to jump into. Similarly, few women are going to like being whisked away to a large estate where they are made available at all times, with little consideration to their needs or desires and no nod to pregnancy prevention or medical concerns. This is a fantasy, please read it as such.I rate this is four stars for numerous reasons: I enjoy these kinds of stories; I am an unabashed erotica reader. Additionally, I can not stand the utter trash that is 50 Shades of Gray. I will not go into my rant here, but let me say that I wrote better erotica than "50 Shades", well before I ever had first-hand experience. Because of this, I feel that it is important to show people what GOOD (or, at least, passable) BDSM erotica is.So, please put down your book about the "inner goddess" and read these novels. After that, find someone who actually lives a kinky lifestyle and ask them to tell you about how things really work. The dysfunction of "50 Shades" and the fantasy of "Beauty" are in no way realistic. It doesn't stop Rice's novels from being amazing, it's just something to keep in mind.

This trilogy was my introduction into the BDSM World of reading. I absolutely loved it. Being raised a good catholic girl, I was naive to anything sexual, but this book opened my eyes to many possibilities and to the different aspects of sexuality. I read the entire series in two days.The books can be a bit extreme at times, but whats the purpose of fantasy if you can't push the envelope.

I am NOT ashamed to admit that I LOVED these books, this one is my favorite of the series only because the BDSM element gets so intense, sorry I'm a slut for BDSM kids lol

Copy received from the Penguin Group through NetGalleyAfter Beauty has caused her own expulsion from the Castle at the end of “The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty” she finds herself with the irresistible prince Tristan and other naked slaves on a cart heading towards the dreaded Village. Once on the market square, Beauty, Tristan and the others are auctioned of to the highest bidder, with Tristan being purchased by Master Nicolas, the Queen’s chronicler and Beauty by Mistress Lockley, the owner of an inn. It soon becomes clear to both of them that while they were used, ordered around and punished in the Queens castle, their treatment there was child’s play compared to what they are about to encounter in the Village. In the castle they were the playthings of the Lords and Ladies, but here they truly are slaves. And although their masters are still not allowed to do any real harm, there are no other restrictions on the ways in which they may be used.Tristan finds himself put to work as a human pony, complete with tail and harness when he’s not being punished in a public spectacle while Beauty is handed over the handsome Captain of the Guard for his pleasure as well as that of his men.Both slaves at first experience deep fear as well as humiliation but neither can deny the pleasure even these feelings bring them. And slowly the realisation dawns that this is the treatment they prefer. The submission they are brought to under the cruel villagers brings them deeper satisfaction then the games played in the castle ever did.When Master Nicolas allows Tristan and Beauty to spend an unexpected night together, what should have been a heavenly experience turns into a nightmare and the start of a whole new, but not very different, experience.It is hard to figure out what to say about this book.A lot of people will say that they don’t mind, and even like, sexual content in their books provided it is backed-up by a good story, and in general I agree with that sentiment.That of course does raise the question; what about books in which the sexual content is the story? What standard do you judge a book by if that is the case, as it is in Beauty’s Punishment?This is a story about discovering the pleasures of sex as well as the truth about yourself. The characters discover that those things they are made to do and endure, which they know are humiliating, are also the experiences that bring them most pleasure. Everything they thought they knew about themselves, their needs and their feelings turns out to be wrong. As they discover what really brings them pleasure they have to overcome their old believes and values as well as truly surrender both to their own feelings and to those who bring those feelings to life inside them.In many ways this book is as much a psychological examination of the characters needs and true feelings and their acknowledgment of those as it is a very explicit erotic fairy-tale.And yes, this is very much a fairy-tale even if it is one that is aimed only at adults. It takes a familiar theme to extreme heights, on to a level that couldn’t be possible in the real world. And I found that because I was constantly aware that I was reading a fairy-tale I had no problem accepting what I encountered on the page. Nothing was too extreme or too unbelievable because in a fairy-tale anything is possible and everything is acceptable.Anne Rice is a good author who has a way with words and knows how to draw her readers into her stories, and this book was no exception. I enjoyed my visit with Beauty and was fascinated by the world created around her. It won’t be long before I read the third and final part in this trilogy because I can’t wait what else Mrs. Rice has in store for her characters.

As we are all familiar on how Sleeping Beauty awakes from her hundred years of sleep and as it being the end of a classic fairy-tale towards its happy-ever-after conclusion. Anne Rice’s erotic spin to a fairy tale classic starts-off when the charming Prince awakens our heroine by initiating sexual activity.In this erotic and uninhibited second novel from Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, we follow Beauty as she is forcefully transferred from her luxurious life in the castle with high authority to being sentenced to slavery in a neighboring village for willfully disobeying the Prince and the Queen herself (despite being their favorite) in an act of S&M and bondage.I’ve made the error of starting here -the middle of the trilogy- which results to some minor confusion. Although the author provides us the share of what was primarily happened on the first-part, it’ll still leaves you unanswered questions. You’ll surely missed the fantasy aspect of the story which is present on the first book and take this novel as life-like, like what it really presents. As Beauty is transferred to the village which inhabits villagers from all kinds, I myself wonder how these people are capable of acquiring slaves with the kind of life they lived. And not just slaves for labor but for sexual pleasure. So I highly suggest that before going through this one, reading the first part would really do you a favor.What follows as one might call Beauty’s escapades while deprived of clothes are a series of spanking, public humiliation and being dressed up as a horse -complete with tailss attached to their hooha- to pull wagons and other embarrassing and degrading acts to supply every town people’s entertainment. With this, the reader might just find the novel to be lacking in motion and pace. As the novel continuously supplies us with those spankings and before one becomes tired of it all, the plot starts to pick-up and becomes psychologically satisfying (for its insight about why a slave behaves like they do) towards the end.If one does have an open mind about various psychological behaviors and different aspects of sexuality, this book is not to be missed. With Rice’s insightful and graceful narrative present in all of her works, this is a classic in a sense in the erotic genre. Beauty’s Punishment is published at first under Anne Rice’s pseudonym, A. N. Roquelaure.Opening Sentences: The morning star was just fading in the violet sky as the huge wooden cart, crowded with naked slaves moved slowly over the castle drawbridge.Ending Sentences: Her upturned mouth found Tristan’s mouth, as their jubilant captors redoubled the strength of the spanks, eager hands pressing Tristan and Beauty ever tighter together.