Review: Shana learns to obey her guardian after submitting to physical consequences
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2013
I want to start off by saying I adore Sue and her books. I love the ideas that she comes up with, especially her female characters who are usually a mix of sensuality, innocence, and a little bit rebellious.Shana crumbled as soon as Daman made his intent to marry her clear. She went from worrying about being home on time and wanting to please him as she remembered past punishments to a completely submissive slave. It seemed like her spark left.I know why with the unusually harsh punishments that were dealt and I had a hard time connecting with Uncle Daman after he over does the one before he is to leave town. I had thought that Shana was going to be tempted to leave the settlement as she had done earlier but such a collaboration of implements and punishment prior was too much for me.Despite this I read this story in just under two hours and wished there had been a little more to it. I was not disappointed in the length, I just had been hoping for more to do with Shana's friends and their escape plans because there was a lot of focus on that.Overall, I did enjoy the alternate punishment that Shana received very early on in the book. I will hint only that it contains a thermometer and is one of the hottest scenes that I have EVER read. Sue has slipped in a thermometer scene in several of her books  and it does not disappoint. It was done in a very dominating manner and Shana is in a very submissive mindset as it is being done.Their intimacy is also very well written both before and after the wedding. Though before was more of Daman's torment that he could not have full access to his little niece. I also have to mention that I thought it may be creepy to have her call him `Uncle' but they were not related by blood and you come to see that it is more of a title of respect. The town does not bat an eye either as we were led to believe so perhaps a lot of it is more in Shana's mind then actually in the eyes of the town.I must also state that you get so wrapped up in Shana and Daman's relationship that part of you forgets that they are living in a post apocalyptic type world where solar flares destroyed all modern day comforts. The setting gives the feel that you are reading a book from back in early colonial times though Shana mentions that one of the older women in her settlement talks of cell phones, computers, and other technology. It is very easy to get wrapped up in her world without questioning the origin. Very nicely done!Even with Daman's very firm hands and slightly rough ideas of punishment I have decided to give Shana's Guardian five stars!