Reviewed by Tidal
TITLE: A Numinous Light
SERIES: The James Lucas Trilogy
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Lister
PUBLISHER: MLR Press
LENGTH: 271 pages
BLURB:
It’s been five years since James, Tate and Sebastian moved in together to enjoy a three-way BDSM relationship and James is turning fifty. After enjoying a surprise party and thoughtful gift, the health crisis of a close friend necessitates a trip to Montreal, followed by a snowy Christmas getaway in Mont Tremblant. Soon, an unexpected event challenges the dynamics of the relationship. Will the sudden appearance of family members, old friends, and new acquaintances cause insurmountable problems or present an opportunity to demonstrate the real meaning of togetherness?
REVIEW:
In this third installment of The James Lucas Trilogy, five years have passed for the trio. It is a treat to see how life has changed for James, Tate, and Sebastian. We get to see what their day-to-day lives are like and I think this book further validates that this type of relationship is not only just three people having sex but it is a way of life for them. I find this rather fascinating. The Numinous Light has exciting sex scenes but it goes beyond that; we see three men who really love, trust and support each other. We see that trust exhibited in the sexual scenarios but also in how they support one another through several pivotal life-changing experiences. Sebastian has some family surprises that give him opportunity for reflection as well. The men have a wonderful sense of community.
The BDSM scenes are very steamy. The men live without power struggles or jealousy. We see great care and respect displayed particularly in terms of safety, and tenderness. There is a very big difference between aggressive and assertive and men in this story have a clear understanding of that and demonstrate that very well. There are scenes of puppy play in the book, which is something that readers will either like or dislike. Personally, for my own tastes, that part does not interest me but this does not reflect on the quality and writing of this story.
I like the title of the book and looked it up to find that it was as adjective having a heavy sense of Spiritual or Divinity about it. There are many facets to the BDSM community and this examines several of them.
I really like how the men interact when the three of them are together, and when they make time for special one on one action. James and Tate, the younger men in the relationship, genuinely love each other and they both love Sebastian too. We get to see how Sebastian treats them individually, and when together. He is very in tune with their feelings, concerns, and their need for discipline.
There were times that the story moved a bit slow for my taste. James and Tate fawn all over Sebastian as if obedient pups and I found it a bit distracting and made them not appear as mature as I would have liked. But overall I did like the writing and the characters. I think the book will be a treat for fans who want to catch up and see what James, Tate, and Sebastian have been doing in their lives. Numinous Light is a great chance for a reunion.
RATING: 
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