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I dare say, this is one of the best uber stories available in the Xenaverse. A wonderful re-telling of the original warrior and bard story, set in the present day. The bard character has been transformed into a young student named Denise, who discovers that there is much more to life than her studies and decides to follow her blue-eyed destiny.
Whatever words I choose, I know they will fail to describe the feelings that this story awakened in me. It touched and inspired me in a way that I wouldn't have expected of any tale, fanfic or non-fanfic. Rooks has created one of the most enchanting versions of a young uber-Xena. I followed Denise's journey to maturation in a single night, without being able to stop until I reached the final page. And then I rushed to email the bard, knowing that I couldn't possibly explain how much I loved it.
This story is alternative, though not explicit. However, the sequel "Discovery" (URL:http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4865/discovery1.html) ( although continuation might be a more appropriate term ) is both alternative and explicit :). You should really read it too; they are actually one story.
A conqueror, cruel and ruthless. A slave, sensitive and intelligent. They fall in love. This sounds more or less like any other conqueror story. So where is the originality?
The answer is that Penumbra depicts a charming, heartless conqueror in her own unique way. A conqueror who doesn't wind up learning a lesson in morality, but still manages to be attractive enough to make me wonder where I should apply to get into the slave business. Penumbra also depicts a slave capable of warming the conqueror's soul, and bring out feelings that didn't exist before. This is a story for all those who admire the conqueror's spirit, even if BDSM is not your cup of tea.
Make sure you read the disclaimers before reading this story.
If you have questions or comments you can e-mail me at: prosper4@hotmail.com
Unkind Comments will be wasted.
(c)May 1999