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Author: guest(John777)
Created: 2016-04-26 12:56:31
Band of Sisters
Categories: <category> Magical Transformation, Fantasy, Gender, Novel, Mature</category>

Maxwell Avoi's "Band of Sisters" (2015) does not seem to have appeared in review on this site, a situation which should be remedied. It is a TG adventure story, and as such it is an all too uncommon and welcome of addition to the canon. I acquired my paperback copy via Amazon.com, having been intrigued by the plot description. Hopefully, this means something, since this reviewer has recently read hundreds of Kindle book tg plot descriptions and has not found any other idea interesting enough to motivate a purchase.

"Band" is an easy read of about 65,000 words. It is available in Kindle and also hardcopy; the latter seems to be a print-on-demand release (no publisher given, and printed without page numbers or separate chapters). BAND takes place in what seems to be a generic medieval S&S world, but the character names will be familiar to Western Europeans, such as Daniel. In it, an invasion of sorcery-using barbarians are menacing a kingdom. At the request of the royal government, a cadre of knightly volunteers takes a magical potion that promises to give them super fighting abilities. Alas, they are told that when the power fades, they will die.

Of 15 knights, 6 survive the victorious battle, but the survivors do not die. The government has knowingly lied, probably because it does not want to besmirch the victory by letting the commoners know the true fate of their heroes. Taken to a healing house, the knights are given shelter and provisions while they undergo the strange aftermath of the magic -- a transformation into women. And not just women, but into the woman that is the personal ideal of each, both physically and in behavior. Apparently, the potion supercharges the body by rapidly expending all the masculine substances in it, thus creating a blaze of glory that allows for mighty feats of marital prowess.

Once their fates are known to themselves, the knights are encouraged to tell no one and to accept new identities. They are instructed how to comport themselves as ladies of substance, in preparation for being reintroduced into society under assumed names.

The plot of mixing knighthood and tg has a history. It provides a situation that lends itself to both action and eroticism. In DC's "Camelot 3000," Sir Tristan returns to the modern world reincarnated as a woman, his original memories retained. Malibu Comics's most popular heroine, Mantra, was a Dark Age warrior whose soul is transferred into the body of a beautiful sorceress. The 3 novels of the "Dragonsword" universe by Baudino (Roc Fantasy) feature a squad of about two dozen knights transformed by strange battlefield magic. Additionally, there are "The Misadventures of Ka-ron the Knight," and "The Moonsword." I enjoyed "Band" more than either "Ka-ron" or "Moonsword."

The characters of "Band" are boldly drawn and distinct as to type. The general plotline is sound and is, happily, not overblown. (Every fantasy story does not need to be about saving civilization.) One interesting point that the author makes is that these persons, warriors who knew how to fight as men, rapidly grasp that they cannot now do so, not as slender and light-bodied women. (This is a lesson that appears to be at odds in today's adventure fiction cliches. Women in books and on film are frequently presented doing battle in the manner of men and overcoming foes by force of arms just as men do it. Xena is one of many examples.) With a lack of physical mass, a lack of upper body strength, makes the ladies realize that they will have to fight by guile and meet their foes in a manner that male chivalry would never have allowed and, indeed, would have condemned. (How differently Deliah confronted Samson as compared to how Hercules confronted Antaeus). The erotic element throughout is strong; the sex scenes are not large in number, but are long and detailed. They are done in a manner similar to what is presented by women's erotic romance novels.

When BAND ended, I was left wanting more. Additional adventures about this stalwart band of maidens would be welcome, but so far there has been no word that any sequel is planned. As the story wraps up, the survivors' years of life and love yet wait ahead of them.

This plot seems atypical of other Maxwell Avoi novels. The writing in "Band" is done with a style that is better than what is presented by most Kindle novels writers (other than those books that are classical reprints). Even so, the craftsmanship could still use some seasoning. There are typos, but fortunately do not come in ruinous abundance. I would have liked to see the adjectives and adverbs kept on a tighter leash. Doing so would have made many of Mr. Avoi's sentences stronger and more pithy. There is a tendency toward use of too-frequent repetition of descriptive terms and phrases. The reader does not need to be so often reminded of things that have already been well established, such as references to the splendid bosoms of Lady Danika. (On the other hand, it would have been nice to hear just a little more about Lady Giselle's exceptional legs :-)

"Band of Sisters," over all, stands out well amid tg books of similar length. Hopefully readers of Metamorphose.org will find it a worthwhile item to check out.


Color Meanings: New Text, Changed Text, Deleted Text,
Band of Sisters
Categories:Magical Transformation, Fantasy, Gender, Novel, Mature

Maxwell Avois "Band of Sisters" (2015) does not seem to have appeared in review on this site, a situation which should be remedied. It is a TG adventure story, and as such it is an all too uncommon and welcome of addition to the canon. I acquired my paperback copy via Amazon.com, having been intrigued by the plot description. Hopefully, this means something, since this reviewer has recently read hundreds of Kindle book tg plot descriptions and has not found any other idea interesting enough to motivate a purchase.

"Band" is an easy read of about 65,000 words. It is available in Kindle and also hardcopy; the latter seems to be a print-on-demand release (no publisher given, and printed without page numbers or separate chapters). BAND takes place in what seems to be a generic medieval S&S world, but the character names will be familiar to Western Europeans, such as Daniel. In it, an invasion of sorcery-using barbarians are menacing a kingdom. At the request of the royal government, a cadre of knightly volunteers takes a magical potion that promises to give them super fighting abilities. Alas, they are told that when the power fades, they will die.

Of 15 knights, 6 survive the victorious battle, but the survivors do not die. The government has knowingly lied, probably because it does not want to besmirch the victory by letting the commoners know the true fate of their heroes. Taken to a healing house, the knights are given shelter and provisions while they undergo the strange aftermath of the magic -- a transformation into women. And not just women, but into the woman that is the personal ideal of each, both physically and in behavior. Apparently, the potion supercharges the body by rapidly expending all the masculine substances in it, thus creating a blaze of glory that allows for mighty feats of marital prowess.

Once their fates are known to themselves, the knights are encouraged to tell no one and to accept new identities. They are instructed how to comport themselves as ladies of substance, in preparation for being reintroduced into society under assumed names.

The plot of mixing knighthood and tg has a history. It provides a situation that lends itself to both action and eroticism. In DCs "Camelot 3000," Sir Tristan returns to the modern world reincarnated as a woman, his original memories retained. Malibu Comicss most popular heroine, Mantra, was a Dark Age warrior whose soul is transferred into the body of a beautiful sorceress. The 3 novels of the "Dragonsword" universe by Baudino (Roc Fantasy) feature a squad of about two dozen knights transformed by strange battlefield magic. Additionally, there are "The Misadventures of Ka-ron the Knight," and "The Moonsword." I enjoyed "Band" more than either "Ka-ron" or "Moonsword."

The characters of "Band" are boldly drawn and distinct as to type. The general plotline is sound and is, happily, not overblown. (Every fantasy story does not need to be about saving civilization.) One interesting point that the author makes is that these persons, warriors who knew how to fight as men, rapidly grasp that they cannot now do so, not as slender and light-bodied women. (This is a lesson that appears to be at odds in todays adventure fiction cliches. Women in books and on film are frequently presented doing battle in the manner of men and overcoming foes by force of arms just as men do it. Xena is one of many examples.) With a lack of physical mass, a lack of upper body strength, makes the ladies realize that they will have to fight by guile and meet their foes in a manner that male chivalry would never have allowed and, indeed, would have condemned. (How differently Deliah confronted Samson as compared to how Hercules confronted Antaeus). The erotic element throughout is strong; the sex scenes are not large in number, but are long and detailed. They are done in a manner similar to what is presented by womens erotic romance novels.

When BAND ended, I was left wanting more. Additional adventures about this stalwart band of maidens would be welcome, but so far there has been no word that any sequel is planned. As the story wraps up, the survivors years of life and love yet wait ahead of them.

This plot seems atypical of other Maxwell Avoi novels. The writing in "Band" is done with a style that is better than what is presented by most Kindle novels writers (other than those books that are classical reprints). Even so, the craftsmanship could still use some seasoning. There are typos, but fortunately do not come in ruinous abundance. I would have liked to see the adjectives and adverbs kept on a tighter leash. Doing so would have made many of Mr. Avois sentences stronger and more pithy. There is a tendency toward use of too-frequent repetition of descriptive terms and phrases. The reader does not need to be so often reminded of things that have already been well established, such as references to the splendid bosoms of Lady Danika. (On the other hand, it would have been nice to hear just a little more about Lady Giselles exceptional legs :-)

"Band of Sisters," over all, stands out well amid tg books of similar length. Hopefully readers of Metamorphose.org will find it a worthwhile item to check out.