I Was an Amazon's Bride by Lyka Bloom

"An expedition into the heart of the Amazon leads a group of researchers into the clutches of an Amazon tribe, ruled by a futa queen." As a huge fan of Lyka Bloom's work, that opening line of her latest cover blurb was all I needed to read before I began begging her for a copy - and I am delighted to say that all my begging was rewarded in spades!

I Was an Amazon's Bride is, first and foremost, a great period piece. It's the story of a 19th century expedition, told via diary entries from Miles Dawson. It has that classic feel to it, and is full of details regarding the flora, fauna, and insect life of the deep jungle. Bloom does a fantastic job of setting the scene, making us see, hear, and feel the claustrophobic press of the jungle around the explorers. She begins setting up the dread early on, with the native guides very much afraid of some carvings they've found on a tree, and foreshadows later developments with the discovery of an odd tree sap that looks and feels far more like semen than any sap known to man.

Their capture of the young woman stalking the camp is actually a bit anti-climactic, given that she seems far slighter, slender, and weak compared to what we'd expect from an Amazon warrior. Of course, Bloom is just setting us up for a bigger surprise when her tribe comes screeching in to her rescue. Before then, however, Miles has a chance to show the young woman a little kindness and tenderness, which not only distinguishes him to the reader, but to the tribe as well. It's because of those few simple acts that he's kept apart from the other men and allowed to watch as each of them are transformed in an orgasmic ecstasy of ritual and magic.

As much as I'd love to talk about what comes next, I will bite my tongue and resist the temptation to talk about anything beyond the cover blurb. Needless to say, Miles has an interesting journey of transformation himself to undergo, but the kindness that sets him apart also brings him to the attention of the Amazon's shemale Queen - who, as you might guess, is in need of a bride. Despite the fear and the dread of the early scenes, and the fact that the men are forced into the situation, this is largely a joyous tale of men transformed into playfully sexual women. There is some sorrow and pain to the Queen's story, and Miles has a far bigger role to play in the tribe's future than his colleagues, but I loved the way in which Bloom developed the third and final act of the story.

I Was an Amazon's Bride is another book from Lyka Bloom that is both a great story on its own, and a great piece of transformation erotica. The imagination she puts into the story, coupled with her attention to detail, really does make this a delight.

Reviewed by Sally