The epic journey of the young lovers, Dare and Hosis, continues in the second volume of THE MOONTUSK CHRONICLES, this novel titled ORCHID OF AWAKENING. As the lush cover art suggests the story takes these highly-sexed young men (and you the reader) from the snowy peaks of the far north where woolly mammoths roam, to a balmy tropical island in the South Seas of that imaginary world. If you wish to read these novels without any real clues to where they are going, consider this a MILD SPOILER ALERT. I will not be too specific about significant plot points or big reveals.
In the first part of this one, though the young men remain somewhat in the thrall of the mysterious woman, Lady Dee, who brought them together, the primary attention of Dare and Hosis has turned to each other. They are in love, but both very sensitive. Part of the challenge is to overcome their difficult pasts. As you learn in Book One, RENDEZVOUS IN A RUINED CITY, Dare's father died many years before. His weak, remote mother, never affectionate or supportive, has died recently. He grew up privileged, but in a patriarchal, highly homophobic culture, secretly aware of his strong same-sex attraction.
Hosis has an adoring mother, though she cannot challenge his hideously stern and resentful father. Their nation, Loonapoore, has strong sexual taboos and inhibitions so that even partial nudity is forbidden. In practice this only increases everyone's focus on sexuality. The extreme modesty actually conceals a thriving secret Phallic Brotherhood which teaches males the fine points of pleasuring each other, in order to preserve the absolute sanctity of women. Hosis has been trained in these male erotic arts, and he is eager to teach them to Dare, though raw passion, and sometimes emotional drama, continues to dominate their new relationship.
Another over-arching aspect of THE MOONTUSK CHRONICLES is the struggle between the male-dominant, patriarchal regime that controls the Kemnoan Empire as a whole, while in the subject kingdoms around the central state, the Great Mother Goddess is still revered. Unknown to the young men until later in this volume, a group of strong women conspires to overthrow the capital city, Ulan. Civil conflict has arisen there following the disappearance of the heir to the imperial throne--who is, of course, Dare himself. His flight from home for personal reasons has inadvertently triggered a major political and religious upheaval that will soon transform the world. In unexpected ways, this also brings into action that covert Phallic Brotherhood, as another major player in the unfolding events.
On the personal level, in the later part of ORCHID OF AWAKENING, the young lovers are isolated together in a house on stilts on Dreamwake Island during the tropical monsoon known locally as the Orchid Rains. At last, Dare and Hosis are able to deeply, intensely explore their powerful erotic connection for personal growth. They even to begin the healing of those early traumas of parental absences and imbalances. The young men engage in prolonged frottage and sessions of relaxed oral 69. Only once the rainfall stops, everything begins to change again rapidly.
Though their journey continues through two more volumes, which also introduce other pairings of male lovers, these young men discover how they can eventually become for each other the families they never had, that they truly want and need.
Please start with Book One, but if you've read that, this one is available HERE.