The Kingdom of Pernia, 1785. It's the fortieth day of Amande's preparation - forty days of sexual abstinence, rousing her nubile young body to a frenzy of carnal anticipation. Tomorrow she faces the ultimate test - the Ordeal by Climax. But tonight she lies on a quilted bed in an Arabian palace contemplating revenge on the woman who has corrupted her . . .
Angel, Countess of Mornay and the most notorious woman in Paris, is the scheming adventuress who has debauched Amande's sensual nature, plunging her into a mesmerising world of exotic practices. And yet Angel's gift, the instrument of Amande's torture, still encircles her most intimate portion, enslaving her and enrapturing her in equal measure - the Pleasure Ring.