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