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Message-ID: <48098asstr$1086297004@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: Crimson Dragon <dcrimsonp@nym.alias.net>
Subject: {ASSM} {REVIEW} {Reviews} Crimson Reviews - #039 - 03-Jun-2004
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Date: Thu,  3 Jun 2004 17:10:04 -0400
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I'd like to unveil the new look of the Crimson Reviews archives.
It's needed updating for years, and I finally got around to updating
both the content and the visual appeal.

Take a look at:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Reviews/www

And this week: Back to College, Middle-aged Actresses, Making the
Grades, Experimentation with Friends, Quaker Sex, Babysitter Sex,
Scarring, Writer Celebrations, Advertising Gimmicks, Moon Goddesses.

These are with what we are concerned this week.

 - Crimson

"Good girls don't,
 I should be telling you:
 Good girls don't ...
 But I do."
              -- The Knack

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The missives below are merely opinions, publicly stated, but only 
opinions. Dragons may be immortal, but they are not infallible. Read the 
stories for yourself, and form your own opinions. Then, let the author 
know what you thought. Celeste's blowjob principle isn't smoke in the 
wind.

 - Crimson Dragon (dcrimson@yahoo.com)

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Dragon/www
http://members.tripod.com/files/Authors/Dr/wwwagon_Of_Crimson

Review Archives:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Reviews/www

Thanks to Denny for checking over the reviews for obvious
bungles, though ultimately any errors herein are mine and mine 
alone. Also, big thanks to Rui, who always comes through with
the story links, even the obscure ones.

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If you like the stories contained in these reviews, Rui helps run
the Clitorides, which is a "People's Choice"-type award system
for exceptional erotica. You might want to nominate any story that
tickles you.

Silver: http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Clitorides/www/Silver_Clitorides.htm
Golden: http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Rui_Favorites/www/Clitorides/
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Story Summary:
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Svetlana's Second Chance -- Vulgar Argot
    (MF, rom, slow)
    [10, 10, 10, 10]

The Actress -- Hi1
    (job related sex)
    [3, 2, 2, 2]

Academic Skills -- Jeffrey Staley
    (college sex)
    [2, 5, 2, 2]

Robin and Julie -- Robin Curious
    (FF rom)
    [10, 10, 10, 10]

Rebel 046 - Quaker Sojourn -- Old Bill
    (MFFFF hist)
    [9, 9, 9, 8]

The Babysitter -- Astronomer45
    (Mf, true, reluc)
    [8, 6, 6, 3]

A Slight Scar -- Joe
    (FF, gang)
    [10, 10, 10, 10]

Joy And Happiness -- Ann Douglas
    (FF)
    [10, 10, 10, 10]

Product Placement -- Juanwildone
    (MF, cons)
    [8, 10, 10, 10]

Sadie and the Moon -- Sam Cornell
    (FF, very anal, gs)
    [9, 8, 9, 6]

Reviews:
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Svetlana's Second Chance -- Vulgar Argot
    (MF, rom, slow)

Svetlana is recently divorced. When her divorce settlement arrives
early and uncontested due to some intervention by her former
step-daughter, Svetlana discovers that not only is she suddenly
free, but she has no idea of what to do with her new life. Or who to
share her new life with.

Vulgar warns us that this really is a piece of a larger puzzle -- a
side project, of sorts, of a larger opus. I'd picked up "Jake's Bet"
a few weeks ago, intending to review it, but was scared off by a
similar warning. But I waded into "Svetlana's Second Chance" with
high hopes and lifted spirits.

"Svetlana's Second Chance" is not a story to miss lightly. Even
while it references some external sources, Vulgar does a fantastic
job of presenting this story as a stand-alone piece of writing -- if
anything, the external references were subtle enough to be
intriguing. I suspect you'd even get more out of it if you read the
entire collection, but don't think you are getting short-changed by
reading only a single instalment. This is a warm, real, human story
of a strong girl thrust out on her own for the first time in her
life. Svetlana is resourceful and so realistic I think I'd be happy
to know her.

I just might have to pick up "Jake's Bet" and ignore the scariness
of the multi-part. I suspect it is probably as good as "Svetlana."

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/VulgarArgot/sveta2nd.html
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47900

Author's site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/VulgarArgot/www

Posted To ASSM: Wed, 19 May 2004

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The Actress -- Hi1
    (job related sex)
    {story codes added by reviewer}

Rose is an older actress finding it difficult to compete in an
industry that values looks over talent. When an old director friend
of hers offers her a lead role in a campy film, she knows what
she'll have to do in order to convince the producers that she is
capable of winning audiences, and playing the part.

I was hoping that Hi1 would address some of the issues inherent in
this kind of situation. Instead, Hi1 chose to concentrate on the sex
itself, glorifying the situation and presenting Rose only as a
sexual object. Now, I don't particularly share in Hi1's obsession
with sloppy sex with middle aged women that have completely let
themselves go and choose to dress like prostitutes. For me, as I
imagine for most readers, even the sex in the story was a complete
turn-off. And given that the story was *only* about the sex, I
really can't recommend this one. Give it a pass.


Technical       :    3
Eros            :    2
Character/Plot  :    2
Crimson         :    2

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47866

Author's site:
None available.

Posted To ASSM: Mon, 17 May 2004

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Academic Skills -- Jeffrey Staley
    (college sex)
    {story codes added by reviewer}

One day, in the college dorm, our narrator gets sick of her
neighbour's loud sex. When she hears David's girlfriend leave for
the showers, our intrepid narrator conjures an excuse to seduce
David so that his girlfriend will leave him. She is most of the way
through her little plan when Shyla returns unexpectedly. However,
our narrator's plans immediately go awry. And so begins a day filled
with sex and college antics.

Now, I think this is perhaps the first time I've ever done this. I
quit. I apologise, but I couldn't finish this story. The English
aspects of it began reasonably well, but by the middle somewhere, I
simply couldn't read it any longer. To me, it seemed like a bunch of
random phrases stuck together to resemble the output of the average
spammer to avoid spam filters. Words misspelled, punctuation lost,
phrases hanging. I literally couldn't follow what Jeffrey was trying
to project.

This story seriously needs to be proof-read before being posted in a
public forum.

Having said all that, and while I doubt if the story would have been
my cup of tea anyway, the plot, when I could read it, seemed
interesting to a point. If it moved away from the concentration on
sex, and with a little consistency, and some character, I think the
premise could have been intriguing. But as it stands now, I couldn't
even read halfway without putting it down. Until it's cleaned up,
I'd have to recommend not to waste your time with this version of
it.

Sorry, Jeffrey.


Technical       :    2
Eros            :    5
Character/Plot  :    2
Crimson         :    2

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47882

Author's site:
None available.

Posted To ASSM: Tue, 18 May 2004

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Robin and Julie -- Robin Curious
    (FF rom) 

In her latest escapade, Robin's best friend, Julie, is coming to
visit. Now, long ago, in her college days, Julie had confessed to
Robin about her alternate sexual tastes -- basically a nine year
affair with Nicki. Robin didn't fully understand, but she was there
when Julie caught Nicki cheating on her with another woman and Julie
needed comfort. Now, years later, Robin has come off a poor
relationship herself, and she finds herself more and more curious
about the dark side. Of course, when Julie's plane lands, Julie has
some surprising news for Robin, and Robin is faced with some of the
hardest decisions of her life.

This story has many elements, ranging from hot sex to a more human
look at awkward relationships. This is perhaps the most human story
that I've reviewed by Ms. Curious, and I think she's done a great
job of presenting this situation.

Definitely recommended reading.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Robin_Curious/Robin%20and%20Julie.txt
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47861

Author's site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Robin_Curious/

Posted To ASSM: 17 May 2004

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Rebel 046 - Quaker Sojourn -- Old Bill
    (MFFFF hist)

Another in the Rebel series. Somewhere in the deep south (I think),
our soldier finds himself in need of shelter and sustenance. He
stumbles across a small village, populated by members of the Quaker
sect. Now, the Quakers don't hold with no killin', so the menfolk
have abandoned the town to avoid bein' drafted into the ragin' war.
This only leaves the pretty young towns-women/wives and perhaps a
couple of aging gentlemen to take care of business. As you might
imagine, the towns-women are getting lonely for male companionship,
and while they are a little reluctant to enjoy the pleasures of the
flesh with a stranger (a killing stranger, at that), their need is
so great that they make it a condition or payment of accepting him
into their village.

Bill's unnamed soldier here does state that even he can't believe
that this has happened. Now, personally, I share in this view, if
only for the obvious plot holes of the women sacrificing the
(presumed) tenets of their religion in order to satisfy carnal lust
- -- when the menfolk have left the village to protect that same
religious belief. Nevertheless, I was willing to try to suspend my
disbelief, though I'm not sure I ever quite managed to do so fully.

I did like Old Bill's handling of some of the situations that our
soldier found himself in. At least some of the women seemed to have
some reservations about what they were doing, and while that didn't
completely convince me, it certainly helped keep the story within
the edge of belief.

I liked the style of the piece, and if you can get over the plot
holes and the belief problems, it was well written and fun to read.

Technical       :    9
Eros            :    9
Character/Plot  :    9
Crimson         :    8

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47860

Author's other works:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/cgi-bin/field_search.cgi?search=oldbill2%40comcast.net&index=email&submit=Search

Posted To ASSM: Mon, 17 May 2004

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The Babysitter -- Astronomer45
    (Mf, true, reluc)

Frank has just become a grandfather, and while on one of his
frequent visits to his grandson, he unexpectedly meets Sandy, the
new babysitter. Sandy is the epitome of high school age youth --
pert features and a 36C rack. He is enraptured and feels that he
must possess her. And so, he produces an odd-job pretence to lure
her in, then continues to offer her money to push the "relationship"
further and further down his sordid path of corrupting Sandy.

I'll give this story the benefit of the doubt. It isn't badly
written, at least at a technical level. I'll be the first to admit
that I dislike the messages and the plot that Astronomer projects
here. I'm sure that such plot lines appeal to some, and I'll even be
willing to try to pretend that it may be erotic to some. However, if
you aren't into babysitter corruption, rape, and intergenerational
sex, you may want to consider that I was originally going to give
this piece a 2 in Eros and maybe a 3 or 4 in character/plot.

Further, Astronomer marks the account as "true" in the story codes.
Again, I'm assuming (and hoping) that this is actually fiction. If
not, that lends yet another element into a particularly distasteful
accounting and I would probably lower all scores to 0 (except
possibly technical). You may want to consider the scores below best
case and conditional.

Personally, I didn't see the appeal here, as I imagine most won't
beyond a few that get off on this stuff. Can't really recommend it.


Technical       :    8
Eros            :    6
Character/Plot  :    6
Crimson         :    3

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47976

Author's other works:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/cgi-bin/field_search.cgi?search=astronomer452003%40yahoo.com&index=email&submit=Search

Posted To ASSM: Tue, 25 May 2004

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A Slight Scar -- Joe
    (FF, gang)
    {story codes added by reviewer}

Elana expects to be temping for a typical office. But then Ingrid
whirls into her life. Ingrid manages the office competently, and
projects a calm, cool, efficient exterior. Elana immediately likes
her new, no-nonsense, feministic boss. However, as Ingrid gently
closes the office door, she has a story to tell, and that story
explains a lot.

As always, Joe writes a very thought provoking piece where the
humanity of the characters shines through while making us think
about life and injustice and what kind of people we want to be.

Who knew an erotic tale could be so involved?

Definitely not one to miss.


Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47972

Author's other works:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/cgi-bin/field_search.cgi?search=cashingbets%40hotmail.com&index=email&submit=Search

Posted To ASSM: Mon, 24 May 2004

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Joy And Happiness -- Ann Douglas
    (FF)

Michelle is a writer. After her first byline is published, she needs
to celebrate. While relaxing in a coffee shop, she reminisces about
her college days, and accidentally meets Joy, an athletic trainer,
and Hanna, a pre-med student, who are making out in the next booth.
This reminds Michelle of her own experimentation in college.
Another accidental meeting on the street, and Michelle agrees to go
home with the girls for an afternoon of fun and further
experimentation.

For me, the sex was a little over-described, but in this case, I
know that it is probably about right for most readers. Either way it
is a sexy and fun female romp.

The story is all about the characters (well, and some sex, too). For
some reason I particularly liked the sardonic Joy, the enthusiastic
Hanna, and the openness and honesty of Michelle. Anne does have a
talent for character.

Technical       :   10
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

Story:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Ann_Douglas/www/joy.html
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47971

Author's site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Ann_Douglas/www/

Posted To ASSM: Mon, 24 May 2004

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Product Placement -- Juanwildone
    (MF, cons)
    {story codes added by reviewer}

Steven and Stephanie (ain't that just cute?) are discussing the
merits of product placement in the media. You know, things like that
can of Coke or Pepsi innocently sitting on the counter in your
favourite movie? Or Reese's Pieces in ET? What if we were all paid by
the advertisers to put product references into, say, the latest
Juanwildone story or Crimson Reviews? Maybe it's already happening
(oh no!). But I digress.

Back to our Steven and Stephanie. Stephanie has her rules for blind
dating (don't we all?), but they crumble against the onslaught of
Steven's charm. And Steven finds out that there are other products
and places to put them.

This was an innovative story line, and it made me think. I'm still
not convinced that classic product placement is a good thing, but
Juan's story is certainly worth a glance.

Technical       :    8
Eros            :   10
Character/Plot  :   10
Crimson         :   10

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/48006

Author's site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/juanwildone/

Posted To ASSM: Thu, 27 May 2004

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Sadie and the Moon -- Sam Cornell
    (FF, very anal, gs) 

Our Samantha is intrigued by Sadie who works in the neighbourhood
grocery. Well, she's intrigued specifically by a certain part of
Sadie -- her beautifully shaped bum. Well, to be fair, Samantha is
also intrigued by Sadie's English accent. Now, Sadie, at least at
first, is a little hesitant about getting involved with another
woman, and certainly hesitant about the kind of play that Samantha
is envisioning.

For me, this story caused me a bit of consternation. You see, I'm
not a big fan of toilet sports, but I picked up the story despite
its codes. Even Dragons should branch out and read something new
once in a while. And even while I found the concentration on the sex
a little much for my tastes, and the fetish a little beyond my
understanding, I think I can be unbiased enough to admit that I'm
sure that the sex will appeal to those that do enjoy the idea of ass
worship and toilet sports. Personally, I found these elements of the
story over-described, as fetish based stories often are, but
probably not for most readers.

While the sex was tearing me in one direction, I have to admit that
I did enjoy the writing. Technically, Sam writes a clean, well
flowing, fun tale. Who knew? I think Sam did a very good job of
presenting the story from Samantha's point of view, and tried very
hard to make us, as readers, understand the fetish and why it might
be appealing. It won't work for everyone, but at least the effort
was there, and that's admirable.

Technical       :    9
Eros            :    8
Character/Plot  :    9
Crimson         :    6

Story:
http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2004/47908

Author's site:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/samcornell/www/

Posted To ASSM: Thu, 20 May 2004

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-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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