Shadowland,
by Radclyffe
Reviewed by Cameron Abbott
Radclyffe’s new offering, Shadowland, marks a
departure from the author’s oeuvre of lesbian romances, which have
tended to use the worlds of law enforcement or hospitals as their
settings. Fans of Radclyffe will not be disappointed by the new
ground charted here, however. At its core, Shadowland is a love
story – albeit a dark one, as its name implies – and its appearance
serves to confirm Radclyffe’s place as one of the most accomplished and
versatile writers of lesbian fiction.
Tackling the difficult theme of lesbian S/M, Shadowland leaves all
judgments and preconceptions at the door as it follows the protagonist
Kyle Kirk in her search for love through an exploration of
dominance/submission role-playing. In the hands of a lesser
writer, the story could have easily devolved into a dry political
manifesto or, at the other extreme, a simple series of cheap sex
thrills. Although Radclyffe certainly gives us plenty of hot sex,
she masterfully avoids the obvious pitfalls, and weaves instead a
thoughtful and thought-provoking tale of Kyle’s personal journey
through the shadowland of the S/M demi-monde, from initiation to
ultimate enlightenment.
Along the way, issues of power, trust and betrayal are deftly handled
in nuanced and textured prose that is both intelligent and deeply
personal. The sex is exciting, the story is daring, the
characters are well-developed and interesting – in short, Radclyffe has
once again pulled together all the ingredients of a genuine
page-turner, this time adding some new spices into the mix.
Whatever one’s personal take on the subject matter, Shadowland is sure
to please – in part because Radclyffe never loses sight of the fact
that she is telling a love story, and a compelling one at that.
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About the Reviewer...
Cameron
Abbott is an attorney in New York City, where she litigates complex
commercial lawsuits and arbitrations involving a variety of industries.
She also teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Law at a law school
located in New York, and serves as an arbitrator in the securities
industry. In her spare time (!!), she writes novels. The
Independent Gay Writer recently reviewed her book, An
Inexpressible State of Grace. If you would like to let Cameron know
what you thought of this review, contact her here.
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About the author...Radclyffe

Radclyffe
is the author of fifteen lesbian romances who lives and writes in the
Northeastern United States. Her works include romances in both the
classic and modern styles as well as several action/mystery series, and
the common theme throughout is a celebration of the power of love
between strong, valiant women. In addition, Radclyffe is the recipient
of the 2002 Alice B. Readers' Award for outstanding lesbian fiction and
she is the Vice President of StarCrossed Productions—a
company developed to foster, promote, and distribute lesbian fiction by
independent authors and small publishers.
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