Freedom Rising

Silken is a courtesan of the highest rank. He can choose whom he bestows his favors upon, and he denies an offer of companionship from a Nightwalker, sight unseen. His life is an endless loop of iced melon, satin-skinned ladies of high rank and gorgeous possessions. Tragedy comes to him, though, when his owner loses him in a game of chance to a low caste house of pleasure. Silken is not prepared to become one of the lowest of the low, and his new keeper Illia is an odious and odorous woman. The other residents of his new home tell him that there is no escape, unless a wealthy benefactor was to purchase him for his own. Sadly, not many rich men frequent Illia’s place.

Nanashi the Nightwalker finds Silken in the back-alley whorehouse, but treats him with the utmost respect and courtesy. The Nightwalker is reported to rule his kind with a fist of iron, and he is feared and revered among his people. He has the means and offers Silken his freedom, but with strings attached. Can Silken trust Nanashi with more than just his body and place his fate in his hands?

Every time I think Willa Okati can’t get any better, she surprises me. Freedom Rising is a lovely and heart-wrenching tale about a man fallen from his station in life through a cruel twist of the fates that turns out to be his salvation. Ms. Okati’s descriptions pull readers into her story and make them feel what her characters feel - loss, lust, love, and longing. Silken is excellently crafted; he’s likeable, talented, and out of his element. Nanashi, whose name means “nothing”, is surprisingly lonely, in spite of his incredible powers and immortality. Freedom Rising is another luscious and lusty piece from Willa Okati, and I’ll be looking for more of her writing.

Reviewed by: Michelle