Concluding the story of Shuki - modern day eunuch.

The Shuki Series

The Story of Shuki began in 'Not a Man,'  first published 2011.

 

The book was first seen on the writers' site, Authonomy, run by Harper Collins.  It won a great deal of attention, and there was an offer to publish at almost the same time as it reached the top five books on Authonomy, which earned it a professional review from Harper Collins.

 

The first paragraph of the Harper Collins review - ‘Not a Man’ is an ambitious and insightful novel; it tells the story of Shuki, a young boy from the slums of Elbarada, a fictional area of Arabia, who is castrated against his will at the age of 10. Shuki’s journey is one of great trial but also incredible strength, courage, and determination, and as a hero, he is fantastic, evoking not only sympathy, but aspiration and reverence. I loved the fact that the operation which is supposed to prevent him from reaching manhood is the very thing that makes him strong and mature. The novel is written in a pared down manner; the narrative reminded me of the prose styling of Paulo Coelho: unaffected and matter-of-fact.

 

This review can still be seen in full by accessing 'Not a Man' on Authonomy.  There are over 400 other comments, some good, some bad. 

 

 

Among the Authonomy comments  - 

 

Andrew Wright:  The strength and singular power of your main character are captivating from the off. The sorrow of the story, the opportunity for salvation, the fight for some kind of justice after the rebellion. An enigmatic and enthralling lead whose experiences drew me in from the beginning. 

Joanne Ellis: Absolutely fabulous writing and story.

Rachel Vevers:  This is a book I stayed up half the night to finish. The writing is beautiful and the plot is painful and poignant. The character of Shuki is naive and wise, complex and empathetic.

Ashen Venama:  Not a Man - stunningly original. A consistant gentle voice renders this incredible tale right through. Against all odds, Shuki is a remarkable character. The sexual scenes are shocking yet drawn with enough detachment to not take away from the real process going on for the boy who has the intelligence to overcome his victimhood. Elegant and touchingly surreal. The artist at work. This must be appreciated on many levels. 

Bill Carrigan:  This is beautifully written, fascinating, disconcerting, and moving.  

 

"Not a Man' is set in an unnamed country of Arabia. Shuki is aged ten, and a 'bed-boy.' His master wants his beautiful boy to stay beautiful, so arranges for him to have 'a small operation.' This traumatic event changed forever the life of a clever, determined boy.

Shuki learns to manipulate his master. He learns to read and write, he gets his master into the habit of giving him large sums of money, and he makes friends with the Master's sons.

Shuki becomes more beautiful with every passing year. His master becomes more possessive, more jealous, and Shuki is guarded. When his master takes him to England, he escapes and starts a new life with the money he's saved. He is fifteen.

 Shuki's story continues in 'The King's Favourite.'

 

 

Feroz was viewed as a puppet king. Just sixteen, yet he is the all-powerful monarch of a country in Arabia. When an important and complex trade deal hangs in the balance, his Chief Councillor bargains an extra concession to keep his young king happy. Added to the details of the enormous payment promised was the reference to ‘other considerations.’ Shuki’s freedom is traded away by his own country. He becomes slave and companion to a king.

No cliff-hangers.  I abhor cliff-hangers in a series, and each book has a satisfying conclusion.

 The third book in the series is 'To Love and To Protect.'

 

With a series, one finds that the number of characters mount up.  With this book, I have provided a list of characters at the front of the paperback, and with the ebooks, wherever I think it could be useful,  a reminder of characters at the beginning of some chapters. All the same,  readers are likely to enjoy it more if they have read the first two in the series.

 

 

The third book of the series is called 'To Love and to Protect.'

 

 Shuki is home, and enjoying being home. He loves his wives, he loves his children, and he loves Elei. To the Daouds, he is someone special, theirs to love and to protect, as their father, the Old Master Hassanel, laid down in his will. To Shuki, the Daouds’ home is his home, though he does not regard himself as belonging to anyone - or maybe to Elei, as Elei belongs to him.

He is fond of Hasquitri’s children, the girls and the boys. The girls, at fourteen, are of marriageable age, and are closely chaperoned. They are still permitted to ride their horses when suitably escorted, and Shuki makes a point of riding with them. Alone among the men, he knows what it is to suffer under too much protection.

The boys have a full life, learning about their father’s businesses, travelling, enjoying the hunting and the shooting and the riding. Fifteen-year-old Zahu, in particular, has become a close companion. But when Zahu finds just what Shuki is, the relationship becomes a lot more complicated.

 

 

The fourth and final book in the series is called 'The Frost and the Sunshine.'

The publication date for this book is set at 17th October, 2014.
 
Early in his life, Shuki made a vow to himself never again to leave it too late to run. There were dangers at Naelahin, dangers because of who he was.  But in a new place, a new home, where no-one knows his history, then he would be safe.  Shuki has moved his family to rural Australia.  There, he finds the peaceful life he wants.  
 
For those interested, I have placed Shuki's new home between the small town of Uralla and the university city of Armidale, New South Wales.  The towns have been fictionalised and renamed Bellerusse and Leverson. Shuki teaches at Leverson University. 

 

 

 

 It was particularly interesting writing this book.  I range forward into the future, and it is absolutely spooky that what I wrote is so very much on track with what has happened since the writing of it.

Not all that I wrote as a fictional future will come true, of course. It is interesting that some things are already coming true.



 I have set the publication date at 17th October, 2014, but it will be available on Smashwords probably a week or so before that date. 

To find my books on Smashwords,  go to:   https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Samray
  

Favourite Indie books.

It is a real privilege to own books by authors that you know, even if it is only online 'knowing.'

My collection started with 'If Only I Could Talk' by Tony Lewis.  It was quite quickly followed by 'Spoilt' by Joanne Ellis, and 'How To Meet a Guy At The Supermarket' by Jessica Degarmo.  Others followed until I now have a full shelf of books. Most of the authors I 'met'  on the Authors' site, Authonomy. Several are from the Crit Group I was in, 'Stampman's' and later 'Stampman's Orphans.'

Some of these books are exceptional, some are good reads, but all but one are 'Indie' published, that is, published by a small publisher or by the author themselves.  The exception is Casey Watson, who was on Authonomy, but had her book picked up by Harper Collins, not just one book, but a three-book deal, (by memory, my information could be out of date by now.)

Cyndi Tefft: 'Between.

Richard Bard: 'Brainrush.' This book has done very well, and now has (I think)  two sequels.

Katy Walters:  'Phobic Dawn.'  Katy has written some great books. 

Shalini Boland: 'A Shirtful of Frogs.'  This is my favourite of Shalini's books.

Charlotte Castle: 'Simon's Choice.'  A story that speaks of life and death. This is a short book, and very, very good.

Jessica Degarmo:  'How to Meet a Guy at the Supermarket.' Jessica is now a popular romance writer. 'Supermarket' was her first book to be published.

Matt Hammond: 'Milkshake'  This is what one could call an 'ecological thriller.'  There is now a sequel called 'The Destiny Stone.'

Diane Nelson: 'Dragon Academy.' A YA (young adult) book, but I've never allowed that label to interfere with my enjoyment of a good book.

Joanne Ellis: 'Spoilt'  Joanne is an Australian author. She's had criticism from Americans because of the title of her book - it seems that American don't know 'spoilt,' just 'spoiled.' 

Joanne has several books published, and her sales are high enough that she can call herself a 'bestselling author.'   'Spoilt' was the first. It achieved the prize of the 'Editor's Desk' on the writers' site called Authonomy.

Scott Strosahl: 'Framed.'  An excellent thriller, which I must read again.

Casey Watson: 'The Boy That No One Loved.'  Published by Harper Collins.

Shalini Boland:  'Outside.' YA thriller, now with a sequel.

  

'The Dragon Academy' is notable for the way it looks.  It is just such an attractive book.

I am so impressed with 'The Pencil Case' that it has had two blog posts all to itself.

And I will not forget my own. 'Not a Man' achieved a great deal of attention when on Authonomy, and earned the prize of the 'Editors Desk.'  I was offered the contract to publish in the same month.

The blurb:

From boy of the slums to Oxford Graduate. This is the story of Shuki Bolkiah, modern day eunuch.

'Not a Man' is set in an unnamed country of Arabia. Shuki is aged ten, and a 'bed-boy.' His master wants his beautiful boy to stay beautiful, so arranges for him to have 'a small operation.' This traumatic event changed forever the life of a clever, determined boy.

Shuki learns to manipulate his master. He learns to read and write, he gets his master into the habit of giving him large sums of money, and he makes friends with the master's sons.

Shuki becomes more beautiful with every passing year. His master becomes more possessive, more jealous, and Shuki is guarded. When his master takes him to England, he escapes and starts a new life with the money he's saved. He is fifteen.

A typical review is by Shalini Boland  (on Amazon UK) 

‘This story began by breaking my heart. It's such a compelling read, even though I cringed through the more graphic parts. The characters' relationships are complex and I like the fact that the master isn't a caracature, which would have been an easy route to go down. The tension was kept up throughout and I found myself racing to see if Shuki would find his freedom and a more unfettered happiness. This is a first class novel about a difficult subject that has been handled beautifully. But more than that, it is a story about the struggles of life - the injustice, the strength of will, the terror and the beauty of it all.’

 There are now three books in the series, with a fourth and final yet to come.

Look for them on the usual online booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

http://www.amazon.com/M.-A.-McRae/e/B008BYWRQ2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1340847276&sr=1-1

'Not a Man' - an 'insanely high rating.'

A couple of months ago, I received a very critical review from a person whom I suspect never read past the first chapter. This was on Amazon.com.

1.0 out of 5 stars

Disgusting, February 18, 2013

By LJ - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not a Man (The Shuki Series) (Kindle Edition)

Am I the only one who thought this book a glorification and endorsement of pedophilia? It appeared to be written to titillate; and I found it absolutely revolting. I can only imagine the degradation the "Series" promises.

(This was not a ‘verified purchase’ review. In other words, the reviewer did not buy the book from Amazon.com.)    

 I shared the review on facebook, pointing out that the reviews are overwhelmingly 5-star, and suggesting that readers make up their own minds.  I think this Goodreads reviewer probably bought it then.

Review on Goodreads.

Apr 14, 2013 Yblees rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-favorites

You see the insanely high rating this book has? Absolutely, utterly deserved! A must read for anyone who liked Skaia, and I think, Anne Somerville's Darshian Chronicles, because this is a much more satisfying read than either of the others. Also, anyone who is interested in the slave/restricted freedom genre. And I would not regard this as BDSM,although there are abuse themes.

The author says it's not written as erotica, and I agree, and completely approve. Brillant storytelling, a strong focus on plot, populated with an entire extended family of characters, 3 volumes plus 1 to come. Cheap! What more can any reader ask for?

Oh, and the author requests her readers please BUY FROM SMASHWORDS instead of Amazon, because they actually pay her royalties instead of insisting on $100 credit limits before any payout.

There are three books now of the Shuki series:

This is Yblees review of the second - 'The King's  Favourite.'  

Yblees's review

Apr 14, 2013

5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: m-m-favorites

I try not to read entire series of novels back to back because it wrecks sleep and takes over my entire weekend. But this was absolutely irresistable!

No written review for 'To Love and To Protect' but a 5 star rating.  A 5 star rating on Amazon is 'Amazing.'

It is an amazing feeling to find a new 5 star review for your book.

The link to buy from Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/169513

These books are quite long, and I always think that for long books, a real book makes for a more satisfactory read.  But to buy the paperbacks, you need to go to Barnes and Noble or Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Man-Shuki-Series-ebook/dp/B0089H5X58/

  

The Shuki Series

The allure of a eunuch - fantastical?

Shuki Bolkiah - modern-day eunuch.

From boy of the slums to Oxford Graduate. This is the story of Shuki Bolkiah, modern day eunuch.

"Not a Man' is set in an unnamed country of Arabia. Shuki is aged ten, and a 'bed-boy.' His master wants his beautiful boy to stay beautiful, so arranges for him to have 'a small operation.' This traumatic event changed forever the life of a clever, determined boy.

Shuki learns to manipulate his master. He learns to read and write, he gets his master into the habit of giving him large sums of money, and he makes friends with the master's sons.

Shuki becomes more beautiful with every passing year. His master becomes more possessive, more jealous, and Shuki is guarded. When his master takes him to England, he escapes and starts a new life with the money he's saved. He is fifteen.

'Not a Man' has gained very positive reviews since its release in late 2011. But quite a few of those reviews do contain the criticism that the idea of a eunuch being so irresistably alluring is unlikely or even 'fantastical.'

This book won a position on the 'Editors' Desk' on Authonomy, and therefore was given a review by a Harper Collins Editor.

And while it says,  'as a hero, he is fantastic, evoking not only sympathy, but aspiration and reverence,' it also suggests that I look at the issue of Shuki’s magnetism.

'I am aware of traditional representation of eunuchs as being almost uncannily tempting, and I think you do a good job in creating a hero who is eerily irresistible to the reader. However, I felt that you slightly hyperbolised his allure. I am not convinced that he is so attractive that no man can resist him, nor that men would be pushed against all past instincts to consider or commit acts of violent sexual abuse.'

Other reviews have mentioned the same thing, sometimes critically, and sometimes simply 'by the way.'

'While Shuki sounds most tempting,  it is not quite believable that every single man would find him attractive.'

and  another one - 'it simply isn't believable that Shuki was universally desired by every single man who set eyes on him, regardless of their normal desire for women.'

And 'highly fantastical.'

I can't speak to any realism about the portrayal of either Arab or Oxford cultures, but I will say that I was very content to read this as a novel of epic fantasy. This novel has some highly fantastical elements - which I've become aware of more in hindsight than while I was reading - including how nearly every male who encounters Shuki immediately wants to rape him, and that so many of his "friends" would be willing to betray him without regard to either his humanity or their own.
But this is Shuki's truth, whether merely perceived or real, and I did not question it as I followed the story to its end.

(Note that I'd take issue with the above in that many males who encounter Shuki might want him in bed, but most do not think of rape.)


But highly fantastical?



Set in the faraway and distant Atlas Mountains of North Africa
are the stories of a eunuch - Shuki Bolkiah.

I can point to traditonal depictions of eunuchs as very desirable, and I can point out that it is not true that every man wants him. In regard to the Oxford incident, I can show how  it began as a game or a friendly competition, the idea of taking turns in trying to seduce him. I can show how it worked to make them want him more, even those who hadn't previously thought of  being attracted to him.  And it ended in tragedy.

And I can speak of the theory of Ben, (Shuki's best friend)  that because Shuki did not smell like a man (pheromones)  that maybe men did not get that subconcscious cue that this was a man and not a suitable target for mating. 

But when it comes down to it - yes. The idea that a person can be so universally alluring is fantasy.

To me, it is not important. For most of my readers, it is not important. While over 75% of my reviews are 5-star, I am not going to worry about the less likely aspects of the allure of Shuki, eunuch.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It may be long but it doesn't seem that way at all and I flew through each page and I feel more in love with the sweet, remarkable Shuki to more I read. I was hooked, intrigued and drawn in from the first page of this story.

I am sure you have created a seminal work that will inform and enlighten, not only scholars and sociologists concerned in combating sexual and gender slavery but the discerning general reader.

I guarantee you will never forget Shuki. He will be with you long after you click past the last page.   

But actually, if it had been about a woman - the fictional Angelique, for instance, probably it would have  been accepted without a murmur of objection. This is because we're accustomed to having beautiful women spoken of as irresistable. Helen of Troy?  Cleopatra?

Here is another review for 'Not a Man'  

'Any woman reading this will respond on a purely emotional level. Because Shuki is in the same position as many woman have been, he's viewed as a sexual object. Not a person, an object.

Until this particular review, I hadn't considered this aspect - that most women go through a stage when they start to feel themselves as mere prey, the target of any man's lust. Some might relish it, but others feel themselves hunted. I thought I was writing about a fictional character, a male. But maybe there are indeed aspects of the experiences of a young woman, a too-beautiful young woman.

Buy from Smashwords, 

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Samray

or other online book retailers such as Amazon:

  

http://www.amazon.com/M.-A.-McRae/e/B008BYWRQ2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1340847276&sr=1-1

The third book of the Shuki Series now available

The third book of the Shuki Series is now available as an eBook and as a paperback. There are now three Shuki books.  They are available on Smashwords, on Amazon, on Barnes and Noble and on several other sites.

Smashwords:  ebooks only:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Samray

To buy on Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Love-Protect-Shuki-ebook/dp/B00BTO8OW2/
or Amazon UK: 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=ntt_at_ep_srch?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=M.%20A.%20McRae&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank

ebooks and paperbacks are available on Amazon.

This series centres on the life of Shuki Bolkiah - modern day eunuch. It starts with the novel 'Not a Man' The book has had overwhelmingly positive reviews, but often with the warning that it is an intense book, hard to forget.

 ‘NOT A MAN’

From boy of the slums to Oxford Graduate. This is the story of Shuki Bolkiah, modern day eunuch.

"Not a Man' is set in an unnamed country of Arabia. Shuki is aged ten, and a 'bed-boy.' His master wants his beautiful boy to stay beautiful, so arranges for him to have 'a small operation.' This traumatic event changed forever the life of a clever, determined boy.

Shuki learns to manipulate his master. He learns to read and write, he gets his master into the habit of giving him large sums of money, and he makes friends with the master's sons.

Shuki becomes more beautiful with every passing year. His master becomes more possessive, more jealous, and Shuki is guarded. When his master takes him to England, he escapes and starts a new life with the money he's saved. He is fifteen.

Compelling reading, 6 Jan 2013

By 

Elle "Elle" -Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not a Man: The Story of Shuki Bolkiah: 1 (Paperback)

Not a Man is as much an exploration of the consequences of unimaginable beauty as it is a story of unimaginable horror. Set against a vivid international backdrop that veers towards fantasy but never so far as to be unbelievable, it tells of Shuki, a beautiful young boy castrated as a child on the orders of his master to keep him that way. The characterisation is superb, no one is completely good nor evil, and Shuki himself is stoic, tenacious, intelligent and at times downright Machiavellian, but never a victim and importantly, never unlikeable.

A unique premise handled with both confidence and compassion. I would recommend this.

The second book is 'The King's Favourite.'

It was the greatest scandal that Oxford University had ever known. The culprits were the scions of the rich and famous, even of Royalty. The trials went on for years, and the story of the modern day eunuch spread, his beauty and desirability extolled. Shuki Bolkiah was unaware of the full extent of his notoriety, though he knew not to show his face in England, not for fear of unwanted advances, but because reporters were such a problem. He now lives in his own remote home, overlooked by his beloved mountains, and protected by the Daoud family of Naelahin. He has his family, his studies, and is respected. He has come a very long way from his origins.

          Feroz was viewed as a puppet king. Just sixteen, yet he is the all-powerful monarch of a country in Arabia. When an important and complex trade deal hangs in the balance, his Chief Councillor bargains an extra concession to keep his young king happy. Added to the details of the enormous payment promised was the reference to ‘other considerations.’ Shuki’s freedom is traded away by his own country. At the age of twenty-six, he is in the position of a bed-boy again.

          As he told his stepson years later, “Sometimes things happen, and the only choice you have is to accept it, and learn to make a life anyway.” Shuki has no choice, and he makes his life anew in a country not his own. As he’d risen from the position of replaceable bed-boy when he was a child, now he has to do it all over again.

***

Review by: Debbie Bennett on Sep. 08, 2012 :
The continuing story of Shuki, a modern-day eunuch. Sold by his own country to be a slave to young king Feroz, Shuki never forgets his childhood "family" and yet finds contentment and even love in the strangest of circumstances.

This sequel to Not A Man is again rich in characters and detail, dragging you into middle-eastern culture with all five senses. It positively reeks of authenticity, with hints of the world political events of the late 20th century anchoring the story. Yet again McRae doesn't shirk from the day-to-day details of Shuki's life - from political adviser to the king and all the court intrigue that entails - to the king's sexual preferences and his obsession with Shuki.

A powerful and addictive read that kept me up late for two nights.

***

The third book in the series:  'To Love and To Protect.'

Summary:

A story of life and of love.

Shuki is home, and enjoying being home. He loves his wives and he loves his children. And Elei. Elei is his chosen love, not Feroz. He may have grown to love King Feroz, but he never took the place of Elei.

To the Daouds, he is someone special, theirs to love and to protect, as their father, the Old Master Hassanel, laid down in his will.

To Shuki, the Daouds’ home is his home, though he does not regard himself as belonging to anyone - or maybe to Elei, as Elei belongs to him.

He is fond of Hasquitri’s children, the girls and the boys. The girls, at fourteen, are of marriageable age, and are closely chaperoned, protected. They are still permitted to ride when suitably escorted, and Shuki makes a point of riding with them. Alone among the men, he knows what it is to suffer under too much protection.

           The boys have a full life, learning about their father’s businesses, travelling, enjoying the hunting and the shooting and the riding. But when young Zahu becomes aware of just exactly what he is, the relationship becomes a lot more complicated.

A review taken from the writers' site, Authonomy.

Yet again, just wonderful. I know you were worried about Zahu being so much younger . . . but I think it works. I just felt bad that Shuki and Elei had so little time together. A very nice look at the world of the women as well, I shudder to imagine how it would be to actually live in such conditions. Sessha

The story of a modern-day eunuch - fiction

The Shuki Series -
           
      the continuing story of Shuki Bolkiah - modern day eunuch.

'Not a Man' was first in this series -

From boy of the slums to Oxford Graduate. This is the story of Shuki Bolkiah, modern day eunuch.

"Not a Man' is set in an unnamed country of Arabia. Shuki is aged ten, and a 'bed-boy.' His master wants his beautiful boy to stay beautiful, so arranges for him to have 'a small operation.' This traumatic event changed forever the life of a clever, determined boy.

Shuki learns to manipulate his master. He learns to read and write, he gets his master into the habit of giving him large sums of money, and he makes friends with the master's sons.

Shuki becomes more beautiful with every passing year. His master becomes more possessive, more jealous, and Shuki is guarded. When his master takes him to England, he escapes and starts a new life with the money he's saved. He is fifteen.

By Elle "Elle" - Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not a Man: The Story of Shuki Bolkiah: 1 (Paperback)

Not a Man is as much an exploration of the consequences of unimaginable beauty as it is a story of unimaginable horror. Set against a vivid international backdrop that veers towards fantasy but never so far as to be unbelievable, it tells of Shuki, a beautiful young boy castrated as a child on the orders of his master to keep him that way.

The characterisation is superb, no one is completely good nor evil, and Shuki himself is stoic, tenacious, intelligent and at times downright Machiavellian, but never a victim and importantly, never unlikeable.A unique premise handled with both confidence and compassion. I would recommend this.

 

Review by: Lorraine Cobcroft on July 04, 2012 :

Outstanding for its originality and depth, M.A. McRae’s Not a Man is an amazing work that will transport you to a foreign world. It will let you experience a lifestyle and culture that is most likely vastly different from any with which you are familiar.

This is not a story for the faint-hearted. If you read to escape to a fantasy world where heroes are gallant, heroines are beautiful and spoiled, and endings are always happy, you may not enjoy it. If you are reluctant to face the reality of man’s inhumanity to man, or to recognize that some people enjoy sex in a way that others regard as perverted, it may shock and distress. If you struggle to recognize that those whose beliefs, moral standards and lifestyles many in our civilization abhor are, nevertheless, real people capable of kindness, compassion and love, it may enlighten you, but also disturb you.

I began reading Not a Man feeling more than a little uncomfortable. I expected to be repulsed by the story of Shuki, a boy taken from the slums and castrated before his tenth birthday. The idea of reading about men taking bed-boys and having anal sex didn’t appeal. I knew it happened, but I preferred not to be confronted with it. But I promised the author I would read it, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the story fascinating and educational, as well as enjoyable.
I recognized immediately I began reading that M. A. McRae was no ordinary writer. She has the ability to draw the reader into the story – to bring her characters and settings to life in the readers’ mind. She has a knack of portraying characters a reader may want to despise for their unpalatable behaviour in a way that compels you to understand and forgive their foibles and admire their better qualities. The people she describes are a product of their culture. We may not approve of aspects of their lifestyle, but we are drawn to understand how they came to be what they are and to appreciate and applaud their efforts to be empathetic and charitable.

I wanted to hate Hassanel: a man who could arrange the castration of a child for his sexual pleasure. I wanted to find him vile and repulsive in every way. But I got to know a man for whom this conduct was an acceptable part of the culture in which he had been raised and educated, but who had the capacity to genuinely care for Shuki and want to protect him.

Shuki found his way into my heart. The little boy from the slums who so feared a return to abject poverty that he would agree to an operation he feared, believing he could arrange his escape before it was done, used his charm and guile to secure his own future and to help his suffering family. When he was brutally raped and his best friend—who came to his aid—was killed, I confess I cried. It amazes me now to realize that I liked and admired Ben, and Elei too. These were men who used a boy for sex, so it astonishes me that I could find them anything but repulsive in the extreme. But M.A. McRae introduced me to human beings – good, kind, caring people who succumbed to temptation to perform acts, in private, that gave them pleasure and that certain cultures do not regard as abhorrent.

This book is confronting, but M.A. McRae handles sex scenes tactfully and with respect for readers. Her characters grow and learn, gradually realizing the illogical cruelty of customs such as casting women out as punishment for being victims of a man’s criminal act and the dreadful long-term consequences of castration. We experience the pain and suffering of a eunuch. We share his fears. We grieve with him over his inability to experience sexual pleasure and to anticipate marriage and fatherhood. At the same time, however, we are shown the unique beauty and gentleness that results from castration before puberty. We are helped to recognize the compelling attraction some men feel to a beautiful eunuch. Their behaviour may disturb us, but we are unable to resist the urge to sympathize.

Not a Man is not light reading. It’s a heavy-weight and gut-wrenching tale that will alter your perspective on sensitive issues and your view of the culture and lifestyle it describes.

This is an impressive and memorable work by an author with impressive talent, and one I recommend to readers with confidence that it may shock, but it will never disappoint.

Second in the series is 'The King's Favourite.'

           It was the greatest scandal that Oxford University had ever known. The culprits were the scions of the rich and famous, even of Royalty. The trials went on for years, and the story of the modern day eunuch spread, his beauty and desirability extolled. Shuki Bolkiah was unaware of the full extent of his notoriety, though he knew not to show his face in England, not for fear of unwanted advances, but because reporters were such a problem. He now lives in his own remote home, overlooked by his beloved mountains, and protected by the Daoud family of Naelahin. He has his family, his studies, and is respected. He has come a very long way from his origins.

          Feroz was viewed as a puppet king. Just sixteen, yet he is the all-powerful monarch of a country in Arabia. When an important and complex trade deal hangs in the balance, his Chief Councillor bargains an extra concession to keep his young king happy. Added to the details of the enormous payment promised was the reference to ‘other considerations.’ Shuki’s freedom is traded away by his own country. At the age of twenty-six, he is in the position of a bed-boy again.

          As he told his stepson years later, “Sometimes things happen, and the only choice you have is to accept it, and learn to make a life anyway.” Shuki has no choice, and he makes his life anew in a country not his own. As he’d risen from the position of replaceable bed-boy when he was a child, now he has to do it all over again.

Review by: Debbie Bennett on Sep. 08, 2012 :
The continuing story of Shuki, a modern-day eunuch. Sold by his own country to be a slave to young king Feroz, Shuki never forgets his childhood "family" and yet finds contentment and even love in the strangest of circumstances.

This sequel to Not A Man is again rich in characters and detail, dragging you into middle-eastern culture with all five senses. It positively reeks of authenticity, with hints of the world political events of the late 20th century anchoring the story. Yet again McRae doesn't shirk from the day-to-day details of Shuki's life - from political adviser to the king and all the court intrigue that entails - to the king's sexual preferences and his obsession with Shuki.

'A powerful and addictive read that kept me up late for two nights.

and 'Magical! Still the power of shuki's character leading the reader from page to page. It's not possible to recreate the impact of the first work, it never is, but this still has a powerful attraction in it's own right. It displays all the other attributes of the first book and will mesmerise all that open the first page.'


And Now:  'To Love and To Protect:'

A story of life and of love.

Shuki is home, and enjoying being home. He loves his wives and he loves his children. And Elei. Elei is his chosen love, not Feroz. He may have grown to love King Feroz, but he never took the place of Elei.

To the Daouds, he is someone special, theirs to love and to protect, as their father, the Old Master Hassanel, laid down in his will.

To Shuki, the Daouds’ home is his home, though he does not regard himself as belonging to anyone - or maybe to Elei, as Elei belongs to him.

He is fond of Hasquitri’s children, the girls and the boys. The girls, at fourteen, are of marriageable age, and are closely chaperoned, protected. They are still permitted to ride when suitably escorted, and Shuki makes a point of riding with them. Alone among the men, he knows what it is to suffer under too much protection.

The boys have a full life, learning about their father’s businesses, travelling, enjoying the hunting and the shooting and the riding. But when young Zahu becomes aware of just exactly what he is, the relationship becomes a lot more complicated.

These books are available on most online booksellers including Smashwords and Amazon.

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Samray

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Man-Shuki-Series-ebook/dp/B0089H5X58/