Ritual of Proof

Welcome the typical romance world, only it's a mirror image. Women are in charge, men are virginal, and it's a futuristic regency place.So original, great as a satire, steamy, erotic, interesting. I found myself in love with Jorlan and Green who are really well rounded.It was interesting to read of a world where women are in charge and end up subjegating men just as men did us. Fascinating, but probably realistic. We would be just as petty as men.A few things at the end don't make sense, but the entire novel is beautifully written. The scenery and imagination is lush, the characters fascinating, and the plot slow but you don't really notice.Jorlan is about to be sold to Claudine, the mortal enemy of Green, the woman Jorlan secretly lusts after. To save him Green puts aside her kept pleasurer (um, Mister?) and marries him, introducing him to the world of sensual arts and land management.Jorlan has surprises. He's a skilled intuitive lover because he's a sensitive- he's tied to the planet and has an affinity with all living things. He's aslo a deadly martial arts master posessing knowledge denied men on the planet.Caludine tries to posion Green's people and destroy her, but only with Jorlan's help can Green win.This introduced me to Dara Joy and most of her books have been worthy reads. This was the first I read and I'm still convinced the best.I was sad to visit her site and see River (Green's pleasurer) was going to be the hero in the next novel. I guess we're going back to the viriginal woman, experienced man type romance. Bummer.

Quite possibly Dara Joy's most imaginative work to date, Ritual of Proof reverses the social role of men and women in the planet Forus. In the surreal realm of the book, it describes how Marquelle Tamryn Green as the formidable She-Lord meets her fated soul-mate Jorlan Reynard who is against the convention of the submission of males. When Anya Reynard is threatened by Claudine, a powerful and possessive She-Lord who is jealous of Green to submit Jorlan over to her, Green has no choice but to marry Jorlan to save him from her clutches. Yet Jorlan has no wish to be bonded but when their passion rises with the differences in their social role, they are forced to compromise or let the evil plots of Claudine ruin their tenuous relationhip.Dara Joy has outdone herself with the complexity of the novel to examine social status and gender roles. The drama unfurls imaginatively with strange elements; of meteor blades, of Septibunal which is the governing council, of aristocracy, of pleasurer and of the planet Forus. It is a fascinating platform to dissect our human civilization - and as an erotic novel, the passion between Jorlan and Green sizzles with their unorthodox coupling. Ritual of Proof no doubt engages with Jorlan's triumph to do away with social convention - and his search for freedom and equality. Ritual of Proof is part fantasy and part romance which is exceptionally well crafted by Joy - and with this book she has proven herself a talent who shows uncompromising dimensions.

In all of my 37 years of reading romance, I have never read anything like this. I applaud Dara Joy for writing it. It's about time we had a story like this. I have read the reviews on here it and it seems that there are people like me who are raving about this book and others who didn't seem to want to give it a chance. I think that is a real shame. Some people reviewed it solely on the basis that it was not a Matrix book! Unbelievable. Never mind the brilliant work she did here or the incredible creativity involved. One person claimed she had to keep checking the glossary just because it was there and it interrupted her reading! Give me a break. The words were fun and snappy. They really added to the texture of the world. Believe me, they didn't need looking up unless you wanted to as they were so easy to understand. When someone calls a person a "dim bit", c'mon, like you can't figure that out? From what I've read on other boards, most of us want something, anything different. This was a fantastic book with wonderful characters and a do not put down til your finished storyline. I would give it six stars if I could. Even if you don't like it as much as I did, it's worth the price just to see how she did it.

I am a giant Dara Joy fan. I bought her first book shortly after it was published and was totally captivated. I wait eagerly for each new publication. All I need is to see her name on the cover and I know I will love what's inside. So, I ordered Ritual of Proof long before it was even published and waited impatiently for it. I was hoping this book was Traed's story, so at first I was a tad disappointed. Then I started reading and couldn't stop. Green is a strong woman in a female dominated society, but her strength is such that she can bend without breaking. I really liked this character because of that fact. She showed the best of what I feel are true female characteristics; strength of will, unwavering loyalty, and the ability to handle every crisis that comes her way. She puts on a show of following society's dictates in the treatment of her name-bearer, but she secretly prizes his strong spirit that urges him to break with the strict rules of how he is supposed to behave. Jorlan is the perfect mate for Green, innocent of the ways of the world, but eager to learn and determined to become more than just a pretty plaything. He wants to be a full partner to his name-giver instead of just the good little "wife" who raises the children and attends parties and other frivolous pursuits that society deems "proper" behavior for males. As the females in Regency and Historical novels, Jorlan comes to his fastening bed a virgin, but quickly learns to explore and revel in his sensuality. An utterly perfect rendition of role reversal in my opinion.Dara Joy has done it once again. She has to be the most creative writer I have ever read. She has created a world and society that is completely unique with characters that are utterly out of the norm. A story where gender roles are completely reversed? I don't know of any other writer who could do it so creatively and without making it seem the idea is too outrageous to be believable. She does not write the same old tired stories over and over again. Read several books by some of the other popular writers one right after the other sometime and you will see that they seem to only change the names of the characters as they write the same plot over again and again. Dara Joy leads you into her fascinating new world and society slowly until you are so enthralled you can't seem to get enough. Her worlds are like deep and unknown waters. You don't just dive in headfirst. You wade in slowly, testing the waters and getting the feel for the terrain.I have read the other reviews with complaints of unfinished plots and unanswered questions. If you have read all of Dara Joy's books, you will notice that is a pattern with her. Instead of overwhelming (and possibly boring) you with page after page of tedious explanations, she intrigues you with hints and innuendo and keeps you reading and using your imagination to fill in the details. This is one of the reasons I prize my collection of Dara Joy books

This book is just amazing! I was initially sorry that this wasn't Traed's story in her other series,BUT, then I read it. It takes place on another planet (seem to be earth decendents tho) in a time not unlike Regency England. However the Women are in charge and it's the men who are sold off into marriage and must be virgins. The story is wonderful. The world it is set in amazingly complex and complete. The charachters are fun and new. Actually the whole book has you looking at so very much in a new way. I highly recommend it for its uniqueness, fun, style, but for those who have never read any Dara Joy before it is erotic as are her others but in a lovely way that is actually a part of the plot/story and not just plunked here and there just because it will help sell the book. Enjoy- a guilty pleasure