Taking a brief leave from the Hades Helmet, crew member Annarae escapes to Il Doge for a few days of pleasure.  Carnevale is in full swing; it’s a time to indulge her senses and live out her fantasies.   

A mysterious masked stranger will take Ana to the brink and back again.  He is determined to have her at all costs. 

Carnevale’s deliciously rich setting recalls Venetian Carnevale, and I’d like to believe Ms. Illyria was inspired by a trip or two and lots of participation.  Where else could you successfully blend art and eroticism, romance and danger, decadence and sacrifice? Everything is a superb fusion of past and present, perfect for a futuristic story loaded with passion and intrigue.  The descriptions are gorgeous and picturesque, capturing the fancy until I strolled along the winding streets of Il Doge with Annarae and her lover.  I respected Annarae's bravery in how she dismisses caution to pursue pleasure for once.  Her vulnerable sensuality contrasts with her utilitarian lifestyle, strong sense of duty, and how others' perceive her.   

Secrets surrounding moments of steamy sex are alluring, inviting, heightening the imagination until you’re completely bombarded by the narrative from all sides.  Each scene falls into a rhythmic pace, pulsing with dynamic intensity.  I can’t wait to see what happens next to Annarae and the sensuous, complex man who storms her defenses and takes her to places she’s never been, yet could not wait to go.  And boy, does she prolong her stay!  Lastly, this addition to the Hades’ Helmet series can be read as a stand-alone and what I appreciated most was the different direction it takes from Drogan’s Command.