Series: Sleeping Beauty

In the traditional fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty the spell cast upon the lovely young princess can only be broken by the kiss of a prince. However, in the world of Anne Rice, this legendary curse is broken not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation. The Prince's reward for ending the hundred years of enchantment is Beauty's complete and...

This sequel to The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty resumes Beauty's explicit, teasing exploration of the psychology of human desire and seduction. Now Beauty, having indulged in a secret and forbidden infatuation with the rebellious slave Prince Tristan, is sent away. Sold at auction, she will soon experience the tantalizing punishments of 'the village,' as her education in love, cruelty, dominance,...