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Belonging #2
Counterpunch
Fight like a man, or die like a slave.
Brooklyn Marshall used to be a policeman in London, with a wife and a promising future ahead of him. Then he accidentally killed a rioter whose father was a Member of Parliament and had him convicted of murder. To ease the burden on the overcrowded prison system, Brooklyn was sold into slavery rather than incarcerated. Now, he's the "Mean Machine", a boxer on the slave prizefighting circuit, pummelling other slaves for the entertainment of freemen and being rented out for the sexual service of his wealthier fans.
When Nathaniel Bishop purchases Brooklyn's services for a night, it seems like any other assignation. But the pair form an unexpected bond that grows into something more. Brooklyn hesitates to call it "love"—such things do not exist between freemen and slaves—but when Nathaniel reveals that he wants to help get Brooklyn's conviction overturned, he dares to hope. Then, an accident in the ring sends Brooklyn on the run, jeopardizing everything he has worked so hard to achieve and sending him into the most important fight of all—the fight for freedom.
This book is no longer available and will be reissued in due course.
Brooklyn Marshall used to be a policeman in London, with a wife and a promising future ahead of him. Then he accidentally killed a rioter whose father was a Member of Parliament and had him convicted of murder. To ease the burden on the overcrowded prison system, Brooklyn was sold into slavery rather than incarcerated. Now, he's the "Mean Machine", a boxer on the slave prizefighting circuit, pummelling other slaves for the entertainment of freemen and being rented out for the sexual service of his wealthier fans.
When Nathaniel Bishop purchases Brooklyn's services for a night, it seems like any other assignation. But the pair form an unexpected bond that grows into something more. Brooklyn hesitates to call it "love"—such things do not exist between freemen and slaves—but when Nathaniel reveals that he wants to help get Brooklyn's conviction overturned, he dares to hope. Then, an accident in the ring sends Brooklyn on the run, jeopardizing everything he has worked so hard to achieve and sending him into the most important fight of all—the fight for freedom.
This book is no longer available and will be reissued in due course.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2011
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November 19, 2011
^^ A SOLID KNOCKOUT!^^
More of my reviews and ramblings at PANTS OFF REVIEWS
4.5
I was excited to read this, not only for the awesmazing cover (count those abs) but because this would be my first book by Aleksandr Voinov. I had previously read a short story by him that was a part of an anthology; clearly, it was just a small slice of something big. Counterpunch had me freaking out, and I can say I was not disappointed. Mr Voinov has just become a must read author by me, I love his gritty writing style and the amazing characters he created. Whether you hate or love them, I guarantee you will remember them.
Counterpunch is the third book in the Belonging series, I have not read the previous books before but I will be on them like white on rice. As you may see this book can be read as a stand alone, and I implore you to read it. I guess I should warn you that this book contains slavery, there is dub-con/no-con, and it’s violent. I won’t warn you against it though, why should it matter if you are looking for a great read, and by gawd have you found it.
Brooklyn Marshall is a slave, but he wasn’t born one. An accident while on the job led him to his life of being owned. He is a puppet to people he can’t see, all he knows is to fight and win. He trains, fights and every now and again, he is sold to highest bidder. So they can say they had boxing champ Brook Marshall bent over something. It comes with being a slave though; the freemen have all the power. Whether its being f*cked or doing the f*cking, he is being used. He hates it, and the anger shows because he once could make his own choices.
In walks in Nathaniel Bishop, looking all businessman and suave. Brook thinks its gonna be just another one of those tricks, where a man can say he had boxing heavy weight Brook Marshall at his mercy, but both men get so much more. There is sex, but with Nathaniel it’s a lot more than just f*cking there is an underlying of I will let you Brook conquer me. Nathaniel also comes in the form of hope and equality; he treats Brook like so much more than property and offers him his life back.
The awesomeness is strong in this book, whether you are a fan of boxing or not you will be standing your ass up and cheering. Brooklyn Marshal is one of the most snarkiest bastard you can’t help loving. No matter his I don’t give a feck attitude, you can tell he cares deeply. Mr Vonoiv really captures the human behaviour quite well; the animals some become when they have power over someone. Some of these characters are so two faced its ridiculous, but you can’t hide behind masks forever. They try to break Brooklyn, and it becomes clear that you can’t keep a fighter down. He always comes back up swinging and its total KO, because my Brook has found his something worth fighting for.
For all that is sweet and holy, this book is incredibly sexy without all the fluff and stuff. I am in some serious love with Brook, he oozes sexuality and I you just wanna get him naked. I have a huge character crush on him, just seeing him naked with some boxing gloves on (ah the imagery). This book is the Brooklyn Marshall show, no character or situation can outshine him. The overall package of this story is a hit, and I recommend you read.
What I really want to say is that “this book is the 'shit' and so is the cover”.
"Funny how the usual niceties like manners and overall courtesy evaporated or become at least optional when slaves were involved".From: Counterpunch
More of my reviews and ramblings at PANTS OFF REVIEWS
4.5
I was excited to read this, not only for the awesmazing cover (count those abs) but because this would be my first book by Aleksandr Voinov. I had previously read a short story by him that was a part of an anthology; clearly, it was just a small slice of something big. Counterpunch had me freaking out, and I can say I was not disappointed. Mr Voinov has just become a must read author by me, I love his gritty writing style and the amazing characters he created. Whether you hate or love them, I guarantee you will remember them.
Counterpunch is the third book in the Belonging series, I have not read the previous books before but I will be on them like white on rice. As you may see this book can be read as a stand alone, and I implore you to read it. I guess I should warn you that this book contains slavery, there is dub-con/no-con, and it’s violent. I won’t warn you against it though, why should it matter if you are looking for a great read, and by gawd have you found it.
Brooklyn Marshall is a slave, but he wasn’t born one. An accident while on the job led him to his life of being owned. He is a puppet to people he can’t see, all he knows is to fight and win. He trains, fights and every now and again, he is sold to highest bidder. So they can say they had boxing champ Brook Marshall bent over something. It comes with being a slave though; the freemen have all the power. Whether its being f*cked or doing the f*cking, he is being used. He hates it, and the anger shows because he once could make his own choices.
In walks in Nathaniel Bishop, looking all businessman and suave. Brook thinks its gonna be just another one of those tricks, where a man can say he had boxing heavy weight Brook Marshall at his mercy, but both men get so much more. There is sex, but with Nathaniel it’s a lot more than just f*cking there is an underlying of I will let you Brook conquer me. Nathaniel also comes in the form of hope and equality; he treats Brook like so much more than property and offers him his life back.
The awesomeness is strong in this book, whether you are a fan of boxing or not you will be standing your ass up and cheering. Brooklyn Marshal is one of the most snarkiest bastard you can’t help loving. No matter his I don’t give a feck attitude, you can tell he cares deeply. Mr Vonoiv really captures the human behaviour quite well; the animals some become when they have power over someone. Some of these characters are so two faced its ridiculous, but you can’t hide behind masks forever. They try to break Brooklyn, and it becomes clear that you can’t keep a fighter down. He always comes back up swinging and its total KO, because my Brook has found his something worth fighting for.
For all that is sweet and holy, this book is incredibly sexy without all the fluff and stuff. I am in some serious love with Brook, he oozes sexuality and I you just wanna get him naked. I have a huge character crush on him, just seeing him naked with some boxing gloves on (ah the imagery). This book is the Brooklyn Marshall show, no character or situation can outshine him. The overall package of this story is a hit, and I recommend you read.
What I really want to say is that “this book is the 'shit' and so is the cover”.
"Funny how the usual niceties like manners and overall courtesy evaporated or become at least optional when slaves were involved".From: Counterpunch
September 17, 2014
Congratulate me -- I'm no longer a Voinov virgin.
(I'm also no longer a penis pump virgin. That's right, a penis pump -- but that's an entirely different discussion.)
As my first Voinov, I'm not sure how it went. Judging from what I've read and heard about Special Forces (I know, I know, I have to read it -- I swear I will) and other reviews of this book I was expecting more violence. I expected to be wincing, holding my Kindle away from me while reading it out of the corner of my eye. That didn't happen and a lot of the violence is glossed over. We hear about it, but don't experience it. Why am I complaining? It's not like it would've been a good time. But since I was expecting physical brutality, the book seems rather tame.
What isn't tame is the brutal emotional and mental effects slavery has on Brooklyn. He went from a cop and husband to a piece of property with no more rights than a donkey. He's no longer human. The only moments of freedom he experiences is when he's boxing. When he's in the ring, he's in control.
Applauding a slave might be an indulgence--might be, in truth, nothing but scorn--but right now, it didn't matter that he wasn't one of them. He'd bet the women in the audience wanted him rather than the suit-and-tie-wearing sugar daddies they'd come with. And he knew the men all wanted to be him, even if they were pimps and CEOs and MPs and two-bit VIPs from Big Brother. Right now, they were off their fat arses and applauding him.Watching Brooklyn struggling to remain his own person in spite of a dehumanizing situation, against his own need to shut down mentally and emotionally as a way of survival, was brutal. It's very well done.
A slave.
Fuck them all.
But I kept asking myself, why is this guy so special? Why is it so important he's freed? Nathan, a "toff" in his own words, comes along and wants to find a way to legally free Brooklyn. He believes Brooklyn's conviction for murder was wrong and that remaining a slave will kill him. Okay. Won't it kill other slaves as well? What about the slaves Nathan owns? Don't they deserve their freedom? Isn't it dehumanizing for them? If he objects to slavery why does own them? Maybe they were inherited, maybe he bought them himself, but it's never addressed.
Brooklyn also doesn't seem to think there's anything wrong with slavery for others. He hates it but his attitude toward another slave is that he's been born into slavery so he's quite happy being a slave, unlike Brooklyn. Ugh. I understand that Nathan and Brooklyn have been raised in a world where slavery is a given and that their complicated views on slavery may add depth to their characters, but it didn't feel like that to me. It felt like hypocrisy. I didn't expect to read a book where slavery in a dystopian society is magically resolved, or a book where they band together and form an underground railroad, but I would've liked reading about Nathan's view of his slaves and Brooklyn's attitude towards slavery in general (whether it changed or not).
Other than those problems, it is a good book. The writing is smooth and the plotting tight and being an anglophile I love the setting. I appreciate that the romance isn't overwrought and I was moved by Brooklyn's feelings on the crime he committed. I look forward to reading other books by Voinov. But Brooklyn and Nathan's apparent unconcern for other slaves kept poking at me and ruined some of my enjoyment. I liked the book, I just didn't really like it.
**This is a review of the 2nd ed, published by Riptide. Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
December 18, 2011
I should start by saying I'm not sure how to rate this book. And, as usual with A. Voinov's books, I can't write a proper review; too many thoughts coursing through my mind and a turmoil of emotions in my chest.
My general feeling is that the book should be longer. At least I wish it were. Brooklyn is an amazing character. He comes across with exceptional clarity and almost surgical precision. He had me at hello and he already holds that special place in my heart I reserve for the fictional characters I wish were real.
But there were many more interesting characters in the story and I would have liked to see them developed a bit further. Nathaniel and Les. Then Cash, the Cubans. Even the ex-wife, Shelley.
I was especially interested in the Brooklyn-Les dynamics, at least in the first part of the book. Why did Brook fancy him so much? Where was that trust—if I could call it that—on Brooklyn's part based?
Then Nathaniel. Knowing the whole story behind his interest in Brooklyn, I got the feeling he rushed it a little with the L word. But maybe that's because, in general, I didn't feel I understood him as much as Brooklyn.
The way the story was wrapped up was beautiful and sweet and it was the only time I felt something resembling compassion for Nathaniel. But I would have liked it to be more elaborate and have Nathaniel explain himself better. I may be wrong but my impression is that if it hadn't been for the outcome of the fight with Dragan Thorne and the developments it caused for Brooklyn, Nathaniel would still have kept his distance.
One thing is certain, though: Aleksandr Voinov is a master in creating dark, strong, tormented and passionate characters and in unraveling their tender and loyal and spirited and committed side.
That balance is in itself a tour de force.
My general feeling is that the book should be longer. At least I wish it were. Brooklyn is an amazing character. He comes across with exceptional clarity and almost surgical precision. He had me at hello and he already holds that special place in my heart I reserve for the fictional characters I wish were real.
But there were many more interesting characters in the story and I would have liked to see them developed a bit further. Nathaniel and Les. Then Cash, the Cubans. Even the ex-wife, Shelley.
I was especially interested in the Brooklyn-Les dynamics, at least in the first part of the book. Why did Brook fancy him so much? Where was that trust—if I could call it that—on Brooklyn's part based?
Then Nathaniel. Knowing the whole story behind his interest in Brooklyn, I got the feeling he rushed it a little with the L word. But maybe that's because, in general, I didn't feel I understood him as much as Brooklyn.
The way the story was wrapped up was beautiful and sweet and it was the only time I felt something resembling compassion for Nathaniel. But I would have liked it to be more elaborate and have Nathaniel explain himself better. I may be wrong but my impression is that if it hadn't been for the outcome of the fight with Dragan Thorne and the developments it caused for Brooklyn, Nathaniel would still have kept his distance.
One thing is certain, though: Aleksandr Voinov is a master in creating dark, strong, tormented and passionate characters and in unraveling their tender and loyal and spirited and committed side.
That balance is in itself a tour de force.
November 23, 2011
4.5 stars
I am ashamed to admit this is my first Aleksandr Voinov novel and thankfully it wasn't as intimidating or confronting as I first thought it is dark and quite violent but wow Brooklyn he is one sexy hunk of a man. I love him and I was immediately drawn to him, strong and determined with such a will to succeed despite all the sh%t he has to endure, you can't help but cheer him on, he is amazingly courageous. This will not appeal to everyone, all I can say is give it a chance you might be surprised at how much this will effect you and deeply, it certainly grabbed my attention.
I am ashamed to admit this is my first Aleksandr Voinov novel and thankfully it wasn't as intimidating or confronting as I first thought it is dark and quite violent but wow Brooklyn he is one sexy hunk of a man. I love him and I was immediately drawn to him, strong and determined with such a will to succeed despite all the sh%t he has to endure, you can't help but cheer him on, he is amazingly courageous. This will not appeal to everyone, all I can say is give it a chance you might be surprised at how much this will effect you and deeply, it certainly grabbed my attention.
August 12, 2016
Smartly-plotted. Vivid characters. Lots of thwapping.
First book I've read in this universe. Ample temptation to go off on philosophical tangents but the story is so kinetic it was much easier to allow myself to rush heedlessly to the kick-ass conclusion, pausing only briefly to bathe in all the moody alterna-London details.
First book I've read in this universe. Ample temptation to go off on philosophical tangents but the story is so kinetic it was much easier to allow myself to rush heedlessly to the kick-ass conclusion, pausing only briefly to bathe in all the moody alterna-London details.
June 24, 2013
Fucking intense. I know Aleksandr Voinov is insanely good, but it's like my brain can't remember exactly how much, and every time I read one of his books I'm amazed all over again.
It's not perfect, though, mainly because I couldn't really believe in the romance. I simply didn't see the MCs spending enough time together. That's perfectly fine, because this is more Brooklyn's story than a typical romance, but I wish there wouldn't have been those (partially unspoken) ILYs at the end: they made me feel as if I should take for granted a love story that existed, yes, but was only beginning.
I can cope with that, however, because I can never believe in movie love stories anyway, and this book was so kinetic and visually powerful that that's how I saw it: as a film. It may or may not have gotten me interested in boxing, too.
Also, I'm trying to sort through some shit in my life at the moment, and reading this gorgeous thing, together with listening to Hall Of Fame on a loop and stuffing my face with chocolate, had me sorted; I had no problem at all in relegating my emotions to the darkest corners of my mind and ignoring them completely. It may not be healthy, but for now it's working.
Summing up: even if only for its intensity and captivatingness - and believe me, there is much more to it than sheer technical quality - I loved this book with all of my heart.
It's not perfect, though, mainly because I couldn't really believe in the romance. I simply didn't see the MCs spending enough time together. That's perfectly fine, because this is more Brooklyn's story than a typical romance, but I wish there wouldn't have been those (partially unspoken) ILYs at the end: they made me feel as if I should take for granted a love story that existed, yes, but was only beginning.
I can cope with that, however, because I can never believe in movie love stories anyway, and this book was so kinetic and visually powerful that that's how I saw it: as a film. It may or may not have gotten me interested in boxing, too.
Also, I'm trying to sort through some shit in my life at the moment, and reading this gorgeous thing, together with listening to Hall Of Fame on a loop and stuffing my face with chocolate, had me sorted; I had no problem at all in relegating my emotions to the darkest corners of my mind and ignoring them completely. It may not be healthy, but for now it's working.
Summing up: even if only for its intensity and captivatingness - and believe me, there is much more to it than sheer technical quality - I loved this book with all of my heart.
January 21, 2013
Present me with a successful, cunning business man in an expensive suit and a streetwise fighter who can barely control himself, and I'll be as fixated as a cat lurking at a mouse-hole.
"Will you punch me?" Nathaniel didn't smile, didn't mock him, but there was a tinge of humor. "Or are we done for this time?"
"That's your call", Brooklyn said close to Nathaniel's lips, noticing how they parted, ever so slightly. For all his nonchalant control, the man wanted him, and wanted him bad. Which, strangely, held the urge to fuck him or beat him up - or both - in check."
I think I forgot to breathe there for a second. But Voinov tends to have that effect on me.
Anyway, sometimes I try to write really thoughtful and heartfelt reviews... And sometimes there are so many awesome reviews out there already that I feel less guilty for just posting a picture, of a model named Carlos. I stumbled upon it on Tumblr and my mind immediately zapped to Brooklyn.
Could he be reading a hot m/m romance as well?
"Will you punch me?" Nathaniel didn't smile, didn't mock him, but there was a tinge of humor. "Or are we done for this time?"
"That's your call", Brooklyn said close to Nathaniel's lips, noticing how they parted, ever so slightly. For all his nonchalant control, the man wanted him, and wanted him bad. Which, strangely, held the urge to fuck him or beat him up - or both - in check."
I think I forgot to breathe there for a second. But Voinov tends to have that effect on me.
Anyway, sometimes I try to write really thoughtful and heartfelt reviews... And sometimes there are so many awesome reviews out there already that I feel less guilty for just posting a picture, of a model named Carlos. I stumbled upon it on Tumblr and my mind immediately zapped to Brooklyn.
Could he be reading a hot m/m romance as well?
April 20, 2019
This story was amazing!
Set in the same universe as Anchored, it even shares a similar theme: A slave (with a non-sexual day job) is leased to a rich guy for sex.
Except for this key structure, the story couldn’t be more different to Daniel’s tale in the previous book. Where Daniel – a bred slave - was shy, modest and obedient, trying to please his master in the only ways he knew how, professional boxer Brooklyn Marshall is anything but shy. He’s loud, confident and a killer in the ring.
Most importantly, however, he hasn’t always been a slave. He was a cop. But things went south for him and instead of a jail sentence for life, he was turned into a slave and sold to a boxing organization where he is trained – and drilled – to become a price winning fighter.
As seems to be common in this universe where slavery is a given without anybody batting their eyelashes at it, Brooklyn is also used to his owners renting him out to paying ‘fans’ for sexual services after each fight.
Brooklyn is ready to endure everything these creeps do to him, but his ‘appointment’ with Nathaniel Bishop – who looks like an uptight businessman – throws him. It’s… different to what Brooklyn usually encounters during those nights.
Things become even more complicated when Nathaniel books him again and again and finally drops a suggestion that has even a seasoned slave fighter like Brooklyn go weak in the knees:
What if he could be a free man again?
I absolutely loved this story. It is typically Voinov with lots of dark, slightly oversexed characters who are neither good nor bad, but who you can’t help but grow fond of and want to see happy.
Nathaniel was an especially ambiguous character that left me as much in the dark about his intentions as Brooklyn.
The plot, however, is really well-constructed! And the most astonishing bit is the fact that despite this world being very, very dark and inhuman, the resolution of the story is what I would definitely interpret as a potential HEA that totally touched my heart. Brooklyn sure deserves it.
5 stars!
October 2, 2011
There are not words for how much I love this book. Full disclosure: I was a beta, and it's also set in my sandbox (this story is written in the same world as Anchored and Where He Belongs). That said, Aleks wrote such a beautiful novel I'm downright jealous of how well he handled my sandbox; he built a much prettier castle than I ever did ;-p
This is classic Voinov at his finest: dark, gritty, morally ambiguous, dangerous, violent, and sexy as hell. All that plus a genuine romance! If you are a fan of any of these things, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Also, it's sooooooooooooooper cheap on pre-sale at SMP, so go--pick it up, and get to read it two days before everyone else. (Well, almost everyone else ;-p) And when you're done, you'll want to read it again, and again, and again. Pure love.
This is classic Voinov at his finest: dark, gritty, morally ambiguous, dangerous, violent, and sexy as hell. All that plus a genuine romance! If you are a fan of any of these things, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Also, it's sooooooooooooooper cheap on pre-sale at SMP, so go--pick it up, and get to read it two days before everyone else. (Well, almost everyone else ;-p) And when you're done, you'll want to read it again, and again, and again. Pure love.
September 23, 2014
4.5 Take That MotherFu#ker
Brooklyn Marshall a former cop and freeman until the accidental death of a young girl robs him of he's freedom....sold into slavery.
"Let's dance, shall we?"
From Brooklyn's opening scene from in the ring, and his first words to he's very last.....I was hooked!!
“Get my gloves off”
“That's a 'please, sir'.”
....You fucking bastard
He's emotions are raw, frank, and completely honest.
Brooklyn has risen through the ranks of slave boxers. To Brook's owners he is essentially a money making commodity. Even after fight's he is whored out to the highest bidder....all part of the fucking game!!
Until one night he meets Nathaniel Bishop. Nathaniel is rich, well dressed, slick grey suit....hiding a tantalizing nipple ring!!
Brooklyn is suspicious of Nathaniel's intentions at first, because Nathaniel treats him differently from the other Johns.
Not a brute? A Slave? A Fighter.....more a fellow human, which gives Brooklyn hope.
The chemistry between the two guy's is dangerously HOT, with aggression, testosterone, need, and finally love....it made my blood rush and my heart pound...imagining these two!!
Brooklyn's relationship with the rest of the cast in this story is really interesting as well, especially he's relationship with he's coach Les, the dynamics fascinating.
You also have Curtis the arsehole guard who gets off inflicting pain on Brook at any given opportunity. To the Heavyweight Cuban sparring partners....hot as hell.
The atmosphere that Voinov creates is electrifying , from the punters ringside baying for blood, to the description of the referee in-between two solid heavyweights pounding the life out of each other. The attention to detail is superb.
There's only 'ONE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION' in my eye's and that's Aleksandr Voinov he knock's you dead on your feet with he's exceptional storytelling!!
Counterpunch has recently been revamped and re-released.
December 4, 2012
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZIBALLS :D
So this is my third Voinov book in about a month and it is the only one that I think deserves the unqualified praise fangirls are fond of ... ironically it is also the only one without that mass gushing. This probably says more about my tastes than anything else, but I found this book absolutely eons ahead of other stuff I've read from Voinov. Mind you they're all varying levels of good, but this book is smart as well.
Any writer who attempts to use slavery as the setting of a romance bumps into the same core problem: fucking a slave is rape. Sorry, it just is. If your choice is sleep with this guy or be beaten to a pulp there is no consent. It doesn't matter if the you get hard, if you come, if your master really really luvs you. Slaves by definitely have no agency.
That's why I've always preferred to separate the yummy rape/capture/domination/humiliation fantasy from the ~luv story~ because most writers do a crappy job of trying to pull it off and I end up feeling like I'm reading an excessively long, heavy handed Chick Tract. I may not consider myself a feminist (let's not get into it) but that doesn't mean I'm willing to celebrate insulting anti-feminist thinking.
What makes this book so compelling to me is that it doesn't ignore the rape issue. In fact it embraces it and ultimately makes it part of the tension that drives the romance.
Counterpunch poses a really interesting question: What do you do when you've fallen in love with a slave? You cannot buy him, you cannot free him, you can rent him out for sex if you want but that's rape. It doesn't matter who's on top or what happens, it's still rape. So what can you do?
This is Nathaniel's situation. He's obsessed with Brooklyn, grows more and more obsessed with Brooklyn as time goes on, but understands that as long as Brooklyn is a slave his feelings will not, indeed cannot be, returned.
As for Brooklyn, he's a pragmatist. He begrudgingly accepts Nathaniel's attention because doing so improves his situation. He's not really manipulative-- you get a sense from the way he behaves that he would prefer it if everything was straight forward. He's cynical and suspicious of Nathaniel's benevolence.
Whether you will enjoy this book depends on your ability and willingness to adapt to it. Fans of slave porn might come in expecting the kinks serviced here to be heavy angst, domination, humiliation, dark, dark, dark. I have yet to read a Voinov book I would describe as anywhere close to dark. He tends to write very sugary-sweet love stories wrapped up in a superficial package of kink (Some will say Special Forces is an exception, but I would argue that just about everything kinky that happens in that book is initiated by Marquesate's character), which for a lot of people hits the spot but may not be what you want from slavefic.
Instead this is a great book for people into edging/milking fantasies ... although I do feel like it could have gone further in that regard. The sex scenes always left me wanting more. I loved the concept of Nathaniel forcing Brooklyn to come. I loved all the toys and the creativity in setups ... but I'd have loved it more if that promised second round had materialized.
[Disclosure: This review was written by an author, see my review policy for more information]
So this is my third Voinov book in about a month and it is the only one that I think deserves the unqualified praise fangirls are fond of ... ironically it is also the only one without that mass gushing. This probably says more about my tastes than anything else, but I found this book absolutely eons ahead of other stuff I've read from Voinov. Mind you they're all varying levels of good, but this book is smart as well.
Any writer who attempts to use slavery as the setting of a romance bumps into the same core problem: fucking a slave is rape. Sorry, it just is. If your choice is sleep with this guy or be beaten to a pulp there is no consent. It doesn't matter if the you get hard, if you come, if your master really really luvs you. Slaves by definitely have no agency.
That's why I've always preferred to separate the yummy rape/capture/domination/humiliation fantasy from the ~luv story~ because most writers do a crappy job of trying to pull it off and I end up feeling like I'm reading an excessively long, heavy handed Chick Tract. I may not consider myself a feminist (let's not get into it) but that doesn't mean I'm willing to celebrate insulting anti-feminist thinking.
What makes this book so compelling to me is that it doesn't ignore the rape issue. In fact it embraces it and ultimately makes it part of the tension that drives the romance.
Counterpunch poses a really interesting question: What do you do when you've fallen in love with a slave? You cannot buy him, you cannot free him, you can rent him out for sex if you want but that's rape. It doesn't matter who's on top or what happens, it's still rape. So what can you do?
This is Nathaniel's situation. He's obsessed with Brooklyn, grows more and more obsessed with Brooklyn as time goes on, but understands that as long as Brooklyn is a slave his feelings will not, indeed cannot be, returned.
As for Brooklyn, he's a pragmatist. He begrudgingly accepts Nathaniel's attention because doing so improves his situation. He's not really manipulative-- you get a sense from the way he behaves that he would prefer it if everything was straight forward. He's cynical and suspicious of Nathaniel's benevolence.
Whether you will enjoy this book depends on your ability and willingness to adapt to it. Fans of slave porn might come in expecting the kinks serviced here to be heavy angst, domination, humiliation, dark, dark, dark. I have yet to read a Voinov book I would describe as anywhere close to dark. He tends to write very sugary-sweet love stories wrapped up in a superficial package of kink (Some will say Special Forces is an exception, but I would argue that just about everything kinky that happens in that book is initiated by Marquesate's character), which for a lot of people hits the spot but may not be what you want from slavefic.
Instead this is a great book for people into edging/milking fantasies ... although I do feel like it could have gone further in that regard. The sex scenes always left me wanting more. I loved the concept of Nathaniel forcing Brooklyn to come. I loved all the toys and the creativity in setups ... but I'd have loved it more if that promised second round had materialized.
[Disclosure: This review was written by an author, see my review policy for more information]
February 12, 2013
It is well know that Voinov is my go to guy when I need some dark, hard and fast paced, hot as hell, gritty perfection. He delivers every time and more often, beyond my expectations.
Counterpunch is certainly fast, hard and gritty but not quite the perfection I have come to expect.
I have read this book as a stand-alone to the series, where the modern world now embraces and enforces slavery as if it had never been abolished. Certainly makes for a fascinating if not despicable world, a brilliant canvas for this story.
The plot and concept is easily believed and cleverly interwoven into the current timeline, and modern day economics to create a system of slavery that only serves the Capitalist freeman in their pursuit of power, dominance and wealth.
The treatment, objectification and disregard of any human rights towards the slaves is extremely heart breaking, unsettling, interesting and harrowing at the same time. This slave society is a very complex and layered one, juxtaposing that of the freeman.
Brooklyn is a slave sentenced, not born. Now he is a heavyweight boxer fighting his way up the rankings to become the slave champion.
He fights because he has to and for his own sense of pride (what’s left of it). The ring is where he vents his rage and claims back a sense of control. Everything else is stripped from him.
A slave has no choices, no freedom, no assets, no kindness and no hope of any of that ever changing.
This guy had me from the very beginning, big, strong and beautiful. The tormented and spirited hero who wins your heart is a recipe that this author executes with vivid clarity.
My overall feeling is that the other characters did not receive the Voinov glimmer, which lets the book down. The relationship development with Brook and the secondary characters was deficient. I really didn’t understand the motivations behind Nathaniel, even at the end; it just seemed a little rushed especially in declaring the L word. I wish the relationship between Les and Brook had been expanded on; something more about the gorgeous Cuban twins perhaps? The ex-wife Shelley?
In the face of my greedy wants, I still enjoyed this book very much. It reads like a film where you are privy to the innermost thoughts of our sexy hunky hero. It is of course full of typical Voinov stuff; the rough and the tender, the brutal and the sensual, add that to a plot that keeps you guessing, sex that smacks you in the loins and tah – dah. You have a cracking good read!
3.5 - 4 Stars. I'm rounding up.
Counterpunch is certainly fast, hard and gritty but not quite the perfection I have come to expect.
I have read this book as a stand-alone to the series, where the modern world now embraces and enforces slavery as if it had never been abolished. Certainly makes for a fascinating if not despicable world, a brilliant canvas for this story.
The plot and concept is easily believed and cleverly interwoven into the current timeline, and modern day economics to create a system of slavery that only serves the Capitalist freeman in their pursuit of power, dominance and wealth.
The treatment, objectification and disregard of any human rights towards the slaves is extremely heart breaking, unsettling, interesting and harrowing at the same time. This slave society is a very complex and layered one, juxtaposing that of the freeman.
Brooklyn is a slave sentenced, not born. Now he is a heavyweight boxer fighting his way up the rankings to become the slave champion.
He fights because he has to and for his own sense of pride (what’s left of it). The ring is where he vents his rage and claims back a sense of control. Everything else is stripped from him.
A slave has no choices, no freedom, no assets, no kindness and no hope of any of that ever changing.
This guy had me from the very beginning, big, strong and beautiful. The tormented and spirited hero who wins your heart is a recipe that this author executes with vivid clarity.
My overall feeling is that the other characters did not receive the Voinov glimmer, which lets the book down. The relationship development with Brook and the secondary characters was deficient. I really didn’t understand the motivations behind Nathaniel, even at the end; it just seemed a little rushed especially in declaring the L word. I wish the relationship between Les and Brook had been expanded on; something more about the gorgeous Cuban twins perhaps? The ex-wife Shelley?
In the face of my greedy wants, I still enjoyed this book very much. It reads like a film where you are privy to the innermost thoughts of our sexy hunky hero. It is of course full of typical Voinov stuff; the rough and the tender, the brutal and the sensual, add that to a plot that keeps you guessing, sex that smacks you in the loins and tah – dah. You have a cracking good read!
3.5 - 4 Stars. I'm rounding up.
August 4, 2013
If I had to choose a word to describe Counterpunch, it would be beautiful. But beauty is a general term. I'm not talking about the good-looking or the skin-deep type of beauty. I'm talking about the type that can only be witnessed after a violent event. Like the first rays of sunlight after a devastating storm , and yet that same wondrous sunlight does nothing to hide the carnage. Instead, it gives us a sense of a new beginning. That even though nothing can hide or make the past disappear, we still have a future to look forward to.
The story is told from Brooklyn's POV, and we are explained details of his life prior to enslavement throughout the story. Things happen to him. Bad things. And Reality does nothing to make life easy for Brooklyn, until Nathanial comes in. Mr. Voinov does a good job with making the readers understand - really understand - Brooklyn. He's not one of those characters where you scratch your head, wondering why he does what he does. His choices are limited, sure, but being inside his head was easier than I would have expected.
In terms of the world building, I felt adequate detail was given to understand what was needed (it's pretty similar to our present day world, with the exception of enslavement as seen in this book). Pacing was not an issue, though a LOT happens within the last few pages of the book, I felt the length was adequate. And despite not knowing ANYTHING about boxing prior to reading this book (except that you have half naked men punching each other in a ring), I did not feel lost at all during the fights.
If there is one fault I have with Counterpunch, it is the fact that I wanted more Nathanial x Brooklyn time! However, realistically, that wouldn't have been very probable in the context of the book, so I won't feel too saddened by this. :-)
But overall? If you have enjoyed Mr. Voinov's other works, go ahead and jump on in! If you haven't read any of his works before, then I would say if you like reading about one man's struggle through a very harsh and unrelenting world, yet coming out a winner, then give Counterpunch a shot (just note that this isn't a fluffy kind of read, at all). You won't be disappointed!
The story is told from Brooklyn's POV, and we are explained details of his life prior to enslavement throughout the story. Things happen to him. Bad things. And Reality does nothing to make life easy for Brooklyn, until Nathanial comes in. Mr. Voinov does a good job with making the readers understand - really understand - Brooklyn. He's not one of those characters where you scratch your head, wondering why he does what he does. His choices are limited, sure, but being inside his head was easier than I would have expected.
In terms of the world building, I felt adequate detail was given to understand what was needed (it's pretty similar to our present day world, with the exception of enslavement as seen in this book). Pacing was not an issue, though a LOT happens within the last few pages of the book, I felt the length was adequate. And despite not knowing ANYTHING about boxing prior to reading this book (except that you have half naked men punching each other in a ring), I did not feel lost at all during the fights.
If there is one fault I have with Counterpunch, it is the fact that I wanted more Nathanial x Brooklyn time! However, realistically, that wouldn't have been very probable in the context of the book, so I won't feel too saddened by this. :-)
But overall? If you have enjoyed Mr. Voinov's other works, go ahead and jump on in! If you haven't read any of his works before, then I would say if you like reading about one man's struggle through a very harsh and unrelenting world, yet coming out a winner, then give Counterpunch a shot (just note that this isn't a fluffy kind of read, at all). You won't be disappointed!
December 24, 2012
4.75
This was a brutal read. Set in an alternative universe with a very layered and complicated slave society that juxtaposes the freeman one. Did I say brutal? Despite the violence I never found it gratuitous. It was there, it was a part of Brooklyn's life and he dealt with it.
Brook was a former cop and freeman who after accidentally killing a young girl was railroaded by her family and sold into slavery. An amateur boxer prior to his incarceration he is sold to a conglomerate and begins boxing in the slave circuits. He is randomly pimped out by his owners to satisfy the sexual desires of the rich and famous and it's during one of those encounters that he meets Nicholas, who turns out to be much more than just a simple fan.
I really loved the boxing storyline here. I don't know much about the sport but from the training to the fight promotion this felt very real and natural. Lots of intensity here that just added to the build up. I desperately wanted freedom for Brook. From page one. I loved his character and his story. This was a fantastic read for me. The chemistry between Brook and Nicholas was wonderful but mostly for me because of it's progression, it was never rushed and moved in increments but never felt slow. Despite stellar characters both MC and secondary the storyline is the star here. The alternate world-building, the slave culture, the boxing matches...there were so many different layers that all weaved into an incredibly tight and gritty story. Loved it. Recommend it.
This was a brutal read. Set in an alternative universe with a very layered and complicated slave society that juxtaposes the freeman one. Did I say brutal? Despite the violence I never found it gratuitous. It was there, it was a part of Brooklyn's life and he dealt with it.
Brook was a former cop and freeman who after accidentally killing a young girl was railroaded by her family and sold into slavery. An amateur boxer prior to his incarceration he is sold to a conglomerate and begins boxing in the slave circuits. He is randomly pimped out by his owners to satisfy the sexual desires of the rich and famous and it's during one of those encounters that he meets Nicholas, who turns out to be much more than just a simple fan.
I really loved the boxing storyline here. I don't know much about the sport but from the training to the fight promotion this felt very real and natural. Lots of intensity here that just added to the build up. I desperately wanted freedom for Brook. From page one. I loved his character and his story. This was a fantastic read for me. The chemistry between Brook and Nicholas was wonderful but mostly for me because of it's progression, it was never rushed and moved in increments but never felt slow. Despite stellar characters both MC and secondary the storyline is the star here. The alternate world-building, the slave culture, the boxing matches...there were so many different layers that all weaved into an incredibly tight and gritty story. Loved it. Recommend it.
November 22, 2011
I would love to write something clever about this story, but I can't, because I'm floored. I want to re-read it all over again.
I don't watch boxing, I think I got fed up when, due to the time zone, it was the only thing on TV during the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, but I adored the documentary When We Were Kings, about Foreman and Ali's match in Zaire, and also Sylvester Stallone's Rocky. And how can I forget Cinderella Man or Raging Bull. I am afraid I don't understand a thing about the sport, but I find the stories behind it very fascinating.
This book read like a movie. I rarely read a book so fast and I think it was because of both the writing style, tight, with a wonderful rhythm, and the gripping story. In an alternate universe where slavery is legal, Brooklyn has been sold into slavery after being convicted for murder. He is owned by a company which dictates every aspect of his life. When he's not training or fighting, Brooklyn is rented out to women and men for their sexual entertainment. Brooklyn wasn't born into slavery, he was a cop, he had a family, but there was also a dark streak in him that he can recognize and it's hard for him to control. It's difficult for him to resign to his new life, to submit to violence and exploitation, but there's also in him a yearning for something more, for a dream. In his old life it was something as simple as doing his job, having a wife, kids, a house. In his new life it's to fight the next opponent, the next champion, the freemen's champion.
When he meets Nathaniel, Brooklyn finds a man who doesn't need to rape him to have a piece of him. Nathaniel gets slowly under Brooklyn's skin, with gentleness and trust. He removes Brooklyn's constraints and conquers him. Nathaniel is mysterious, but he is also kind and generous. He represents everything good Brooklyn can wish for, a considerate and equal lover, a drop of dangerous hope. I must confess that I didn't know what to wish for, because I was so afraid for Brooklyn that I didn't know if I wanted him to believe in Nathaniel's help, I just didn't want him to be disappointed once again. I liked that neither Nathaniel nor Brooklyn were black and white characters, but had heavy shades of gray. We root for Brooklyn because he is the underdog, not because he is a fallen angel: his dark side is never forgotten and it makes him real. Nathaniel is not the perfect knight in shining armour.
The fighting scenes made me feel like I was there, they were not too technical, but detailed enough to give us a glimpse of what was happening. As I said before, the writing is essential, it flows with Brooklyn's story and sometimes it takes us deeper into his mind and feelings, letting us literally see his intimate thoughts. I don't know why lately I am more fascinated by the sex scenes were the intercourse is more connection than consummation and here there's a wonderful example of an offered submission which is not acted upon. Wonderful.
There's not ONE negative thing I can say about this book. If you are worried about the non-con aspects of the story, they are hinted at, but they happen behind closed doors. The world building is incredibly interesting, Nathaniel's considerations about the slave economy gave a deeper layer to the setting and there are a few issues which come incredibly close to things we are seeing everyday on TV. It should be made into a movie. Highly recommended!
I don't watch boxing, I think I got fed up when, due to the time zone, it was the only thing on TV during the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, but I adored the documentary When We Were Kings, about Foreman and Ali's match in Zaire, and also Sylvester Stallone's Rocky. And how can I forget Cinderella Man or Raging Bull. I am afraid I don't understand a thing about the sport, but I find the stories behind it very fascinating.
This book read like a movie. I rarely read a book so fast and I think it was because of both the writing style, tight, with a wonderful rhythm, and the gripping story. In an alternate universe where slavery is legal, Brooklyn has been sold into slavery after being convicted for murder. He is owned by a company which dictates every aspect of his life. When he's not training or fighting, Brooklyn is rented out to women and men for their sexual entertainment. Brooklyn wasn't born into slavery, he was a cop, he had a family, but there was also a dark streak in him that he can recognize and it's hard for him to control. It's difficult for him to resign to his new life, to submit to violence and exploitation, but there's also in him a yearning for something more, for a dream. In his old life it was something as simple as doing his job, having a wife, kids, a house. In his new life it's to fight the next opponent, the next champion, the freemen's champion.
When he meets Nathaniel, Brooklyn finds a man who doesn't need to rape him to have a piece of him. Nathaniel gets slowly under Brooklyn's skin, with gentleness and trust. He removes Brooklyn's constraints and conquers him. Nathaniel is mysterious, but he is also kind and generous. He represents everything good Brooklyn can wish for, a considerate and equal lover, a drop of dangerous hope. I must confess that I didn't know what to wish for, because I was so afraid for Brooklyn that I didn't know if I wanted him to believe in Nathaniel's help, I just didn't want him to be disappointed once again. I liked that neither Nathaniel nor Brooklyn were black and white characters, but had heavy shades of gray. We root for Brooklyn because he is the underdog, not because he is a fallen angel: his dark side is never forgotten and it makes him real. Nathaniel is not the perfect knight in shining armour.
The fighting scenes made me feel like I was there, they were not too technical, but detailed enough to give us a glimpse of what was happening. As I said before, the writing is essential, it flows with Brooklyn's story and sometimes it takes us deeper into his mind and feelings, letting us literally see his intimate thoughts. I don't know why lately I am more fascinated by the sex scenes were the intercourse is more connection than consummation and here there's a wonderful example of an offered submission which is not acted upon. Wonderful.
There's not ONE negative thing I can say about this book. If you are worried about the non-con aspects of the story, they are hinted at, but they happen behind closed doors. The world building is incredibly interesting, Nathaniel's considerations about the slave economy gave a deeper layer to the setting and there are a few issues which come incredibly close to things we are seeing everyday on TV. It should be made into a movie. Highly recommended!
February 27, 2012
It's Not A Sport Unless Someone Gets Hit In The Face: The Most Vicious Fairy Tale
For a really good fairy tale you need an underdog
Meet Brooklyn. Brooklyn's a cop who, after accidentally killing a young girl, gets sold into slavery. An up and comer on the slave boxing circuit, Brooklyn vents his rage in the ring. The boxing scenes in this book are visceral and I could all but smell the blood and sweat. I could all but hear the bloodthirsty crowds and feel the frenetic energy that vibrated under the hot lights. In the ring, Brooklyn was the physical manifestation of pain, anger, frustration, determination and punishing power.
After the fights Brooklyn is whored out because essentially the management sees him as nothing but a money maker and they make that money however they can. He's not a person to them, he's a commodity to be used until he's all used up. Counterpunch is mainly a character study. Brooklyn is the most important character and he's a man that I felt for.
For a really good fairy tale you need a villain
Meet Curtis and the system. In the world of Counterpunch the prisons are full to bursting, so slavery has been reinstated. There are slave bracelets that give electroshocks, a breeding system and sadistic guards. Curtis is one of those sadistic guards. He doesn't pop up much in the story but he's representative of a system that's not ideal and not really monitored in any way, shape or form. That's who the real villain is in this book; a world where it's okay to own another human being and to treat them like nothing more than a piece of meat.
For a really good fairy tale you need a knight in shining armor
Meet Nathaniel. Nathaniel's a rich man, a very rich man, who buys a night with Brooklyn. Brooklyn's suspicious of Nathaniel's intentions at first because Nathaniel doesn't treat him like a slave. Nathaniel treats Brooklyn like a man, like a lover. And then Nathaniel does something big; he gives Brooklyn hope. He offers to help Brooklyn become a free man.
This story didn't have alot of romance in it and the romance that was in it was gritty. There were alot of intricacies to the way Brooklyn viewed his relationship with Nathaniel. There were alot of decisions that Brooklyn made and there was alot of thought that went into how he would let Nathaniel affect him. This was pretty realistic because hope and trust are a dangerous thing for someone who's a slave, especially when it comes to trusting someone who's free.
And then there's the fairy tale ending
The things that Brooklyn goes through near the end of this book are pretty horrific. Everything goes wrong right up until everything turns out right. I liked that Brooklyn's road to happiness wasn't easy because it was in keeping with the rest of the story. It rang true. I appreciated that.
I have to say that until I started writing this review I wasn't sure how I felt about Brooklyn's story. Now, I'm quite sure. It was good. Really good, and Aleksandr Voinov is now an author whose work I'll be reading again. I recommend.
For a really good fairy tale you need an underdog
Meet Brooklyn. Brooklyn's a cop who, after accidentally killing a young girl, gets sold into slavery. An up and comer on the slave boxing circuit, Brooklyn vents his rage in the ring. The boxing scenes in this book are visceral and I could all but smell the blood and sweat. I could all but hear the bloodthirsty crowds and feel the frenetic energy that vibrated under the hot lights. In the ring, Brooklyn was the physical manifestation of pain, anger, frustration, determination and punishing power.
After the fights Brooklyn is whored out because essentially the management sees him as nothing but a money maker and they make that money however they can. He's not a person to them, he's a commodity to be used until he's all used up. Counterpunch is mainly a character study. Brooklyn is the most important character and he's a man that I felt for.
For a really good fairy tale you need a villain
Meet Curtis and the system. In the world of Counterpunch the prisons are full to bursting, so slavery has been reinstated. There are slave bracelets that give electroshocks, a breeding system and sadistic guards. Curtis is one of those sadistic guards. He doesn't pop up much in the story but he's representative of a system that's not ideal and not really monitored in any way, shape or form. That's who the real villain is in this book; a world where it's okay to own another human being and to treat them like nothing more than a piece of meat.
For a really good fairy tale you need a knight in shining armor
Meet Nathaniel. Nathaniel's a rich man, a very rich man, who buys a night with Brooklyn. Brooklyn's suspicious of Nathaniel's intentions at first because Nathaniel doesn't treat him like a slave. Nathaniel treats Brooklyn like a man, like a lover. And then Nathaniel does something big; he gives Brooklyn hope. He offers to help Brooklyn become a free man.
This story didn't have alot of romance in it and the romance that was in it was gritty. There were alot of intricacies to the way Brooklyn viewed his relationship with Nathaniel. There were alot of decisions that Brooklyn made and there was alot of thought that went into how he would let Nathaniel affect him. This was pretty realistic because hope and trust are a dangerous thing for someone who's a slave, especially when it comes to trusting someone who's free.
And then there's the fairy tale ending
The things that Brooklyn goes through near the end of this book are pretty horrific. Everything goes wrong right up until everything turns out right. I liked that Brooklyn's road to happiness wasn't easy because it was in keeping with the rest of the story. It rang true. I appreciated that.
I have to say that until I started writing this review I wasn't sure how I felt about Brooklyn's story. Now, I'm quite sure. It was good. Really good, and Aleksandr Voinov is now an author whose work I'll be reading again. I recommend.
August 2, 2014
From page one you’re immersed and wrapped up in the story of Brooklyn a British ex-copper whose life has gone terribly wrong. We are back in the same universe as Rachel Haimowitz’s Where He Belongs (it's not necessary to read this first) but just when the story takes place is left vague; and we have very few clues except for an odd, casual reference to an Apple laptop which tells us that it can’t be too far in the future. In this alternate universe people can be sold into a life of slavery, owned to do others’ bidding. Brook has been abandoned by his policeman tribe when he accidentally kills someone during a riot. As punishment he is sold to a mysterious management company which sets him up in the boxing circuit as he’s shown talent for that sport.
It is not clear whether Brook was completely happy in his previous life as a married police officer but it is brilliantly clear that he will not last long as a slave. He struggles with the submission and simply cannot capitulate his soul. It is a cruel and brutal world that he has been thrust into. The beauty of the writing is that Brook earns our sympathy even though he is not always a sympathetic character; and neither does he ask for our pity. In a sport that trains by breaking down and building up (muscle, psyche) we see Brook re-shaped as he learns who he is and just how much he can take.
The introduction of Nathaniel, a mysterious, well-to-do man with a sudden and almost obsessive interest in Brook, leads us into the romance. Their initial relationship is not at all romantic, it’s almost like that of boxers in the ring, circling and ducking, looking for a way in, for the upper hand. Except here, the way in may very well be for the ‘happy ever after’. What I liked was that while Nathaniel is essential to the story this is much more than just a romance. The ending is a bit swift and easy but that is ok as the getting there was truly brutal and we are left with hope for Brooke. Once again, if there should be a sequel I would go running to the bookshop.
It is not clear whether Brook was completely happy in his previous life as a married police officer but it is brilliantly clear that he will not last long as a slave. He struggles with the submission and simply cannot capitulate his soul. It is a cruel and brutal world that he has been thrust into. The beauty of the writing is that Brook earns our sympathy even though he is not always a sympathetic character; and neither does he ask for our pity. In a sport that trains by breaking down and building up (muscle, psyche) we see Brook re-shaped as he learns who he is and just how much he can take.
The introduction of Nathaniel, a mysterious, well-to-do man with a sudden and almost obsessive interest in Brook, leads us into the romance. Their initial relationship is not at all romantic, it’s almost like that of boxers in the ring, circling and ducking, looking for a way in, for the upper hand. Except here, the way in may very well be for the ‘happy ever after’. What I liked was that while Nathaniel is essential to the story this is much more than just a romance. The ending is a bit swift and easy but that is ok as the getting there was truly brutal and we are left with hope for Brooke. Once again, if there should be a sequel I would go running to the bookshop.
December 23, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Brooklyn is an ex cop turned boxer who is also a slave. While on duty, Brooklyn killed a protester and was sentenced to slavery.
I just love Mr. Voinov's writing style. I was a little worried because I don't like boxing and books with slavery themes tend to get me a bit apprehensive BUT I was completely sucked in. Brooklyn is an amazingly developed character. He is a strong and tormented man who completely draws you into his world. He has no voice, no choices, no life of his own. He is told when to train, when to eat, and when to sleep. At all times he has a guard hovering over him. He is also rented out for sexual favors. This is his fate in life until Nathaniel purchases his services/body for the night. Nathaniel always seemed a bit of a mystery character to me. Maybe that's how he was suppose to be, not really sure but I always felt that he had some ulterior motive that was borderline sinister. In the end it becomes clearer. I really liked their relationship. It opened Brooklyn up in so many ways. Most of all it gave him hope.
The only two issues I had was that I didn't get to know Nathaniel more and I also felt the ending came to quick. Not to spoil the ending but I had hoped we would have seen Brooklyn's finally thoughts in a conversation between him and Nathaniel. Of course, this was my first reaction when I finished the book but as I pondered over it a bit, it made sense to end it with Brooklyn's final thoughts since it was his journey we followed. It was very sweet ending.
Even though this book has such dark undertones, Brooklyn was able to make me smile. There were many heart-felt moments. Definitely a wonderful read.
I just love Mr. Voinov's writing style. I was a little worried because I don't like boxing and books with slavery themes tend to get me a bit apprehensive BUT I was completely sucked in. Brooklyn is an amazingly developed character. He is a strong and tormented man who completely draws you into his world. He has no voice, no choices, no life of his own. He is told when to train, when to eat, and when to sleep. At all times he has a guard hovering over him. He is also rented out for sexual favors. This is his fate in life until Nathaniel purchases his services/body for the night. Nathaniel always seemed a bit of a mystery character to me. Maybe that's how he was suppose to be, not really sure but I always felt that he had some ulterior motive that was borderline sinister. In the end it becomes clearer. I really liked their relationship. It opened Brooklyn up in so many ways. Most of all it gave him hope.
The only two issues I had was that I didn't get to know Nathaniel more and I also felt the ending came to quick. Not to spoil the ending but I had hoped we would have seen Brooklyn's finally thoughts in a conversation between him and Nathaniel. Of course, this was my first reaction when I finished the book but as I pondered over it a bit, it made sense to end it with Brooklyn's final thoughts since it was his journey we followed. It was very sweet ending.
Even though this book has such dark undertones, Brooklyn was able to make me smile. There were many heart-felt moments. Definitely a wonderful read.
January 13, 2013
Ironic that I haven't written a review. This was my first Voinov book and first MM story--what a gateway! I discussed this thoroughly during a BOM reading and now I find it near impossible to review other than to say that this book single-handedly introduced me to a new genre.
The writing is tight, the descriptions elegant and the pace is fiercely regulated. Simply lovely. I'll try and review this again after a rereading, but this is the best I have right now.
The writing is tight, the descriptions elegant and the pace is fiercely regulated. Simply lovely. I'll try and review this again after a rereading, but this is the best I have right now.
June 4, 2016
Intelligent m/m au slave/master read set in the world of boxing. Can be read as a stand-alone story.
'you wonder why I did things the way I did? To see that expression in your eyes. To imagine, for a moment, kissing you without fearing for my neck."
'you wonder why I did things the way I did? To see that expression in your eyes. To imagine, for a moment, kissing you without fearing for my neck."
February 8, 2013
This review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.
Imagine a modern Britain where at least two or three decades ago the politicians gave up on trying to keep up with the ever-growing prison population, chucked the fourth article of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, and started to commute life sentences into slavery. Now people are both born and condemned to it. And it’s not just in Britain, it’s all around the world.
Brooklyn Marshall was born free and worked hard to build a good life for himself. Then a simple mistake, an accident, at the job took all that away from him. He was made into an example and his life was no longer his own. Now he boxes because it’s better than getting shot at in a war zone, and he fucks and is fucked because he is told to. He is used. He’s chattel that can talk.
It’s cruel to give hope to a such man, but that’s exactly what Nathaniel Bishop does.
I’m not a fan of romanticising slavery, and I’m not a fan of any relationship that’s based on a severe imbalance of power, but I’m always curious to see if the author can make it work. If those obstacles of differing wealth, social status, and culture can be overcome believably. Realistically. Even in urban fantasy.
It works here because Brooklyn has never accepted his status as anything less than a human being. It works because both Brooklyn and Nathaniel recognise how wrong their situation is, and because both are fighters in their own way.
Much of the story focuses on the boxing—again, something I know nothing about—and how it reflects Brooklyn’s growth as a character. He’ll never see any of the winnings, but the fighting he does is for himself. He’s broken and beaten both in the ring and out, and he is affected by it, but he’s also a survivor. What doesn’t kill him makes him stronger, and the final fights show this vividly.
If I hadn’t struggled with the beginning of the story—it was good but not amazing—the ending would have earned Counterpunch its fifth star. Voinov opted out of the fanciful and kept it realistic.
P.S. The story includes triggers for
Imagine a modern Britain where at least two or three decades ago the politicians gave up on trying to keep up with the ever-growing prison population, chucked the fourth article of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, and started to commute life sentences into slavery. Now people are both born and condemned to it. And it’s not just in Britain, it’s all around the world.
Brooklyn Marshall was born free and worked hard to build a good life for himself. Then a simple mistake, an accident, at the job took all that away from him. He was made into an example and his life was no longer his own. Now he boxes because it’s better than getting shot at in a war zone, and he fucks and is fucked because he is told to. He is used. He’s chattel that can talk.
”You haven’t resigned yourself to slavery yet, have you?”
“No. And I never will.”
It’s cruel to give hope to a such man, but that’s exactly what Nathaniel Bishop does.
I’m not a fan of romanticising slavery, and I’m not a fan of any relationship that’s based on a severe imbalance of power, but I’m always curious to see if the author can make it work. If those obstacles of differing wealth, social status, and culture can be overcome believably. Realistically. Even in urban fantasy.
It works here because Brooklyn has never accepted his status as anything less than a human being. It works because both Brooklyn and Nathaniel recognise how wrong their situation is, and because both are fighters in their own way.
Much of the story focuses on the boxing—again, something I know nothing about—and how it reflects Brooklyn’s growth as a character. He’ll never see any of the winnings, but the fighting he does is for himself. He’s broken and beaten both in the ring and out, and he is affected by it, but he’s also a survivor. What doesn’t kill him makes him stronger, and the final fights show this vividly.
If I hadn’t struggled with the beginning of the story—it was good but not amazing—the ending would have earned Counterpunch its fifth star. Voinov opted out of the fanciful and kept it realistic.
P.S. The story includes triggers for
November 25, 2012
I have no idea how Voinov does it but he always does. His books are gritty and raw and full of emotion but they never fall into angst and irritation. The characters are all well rounded with depth and, occasionally, surprise. Brook here is so engaging - and when he releases how he feels about the incident that made him a slave you get such a peek into his life. It was not as harsh as I expected and yet very painful. The way the story evolves is very satisfying and the ending just fit.
The parallels with Ali were that unique spin that pushes this firmly into 5 star territory. Great!
The parallels with Ali were that unique spin that pushes this firmly into 5 star territory. Great!
January 28, 2014
Counterpunch was not at all what I was expecting. Truthfully, I thought it was a BDSM novel; it’s not. There are probably some that would argue that point with, ‘But… but… there’s a St. Andrews Cross and a pillory and handcuffs!’ Uh huh. I’ll give you kinky fuckery and that’s my final offer. As much as I thought I’d be disappointed by that, I wasn't. Mr. Voinov made me engaged in a book about a boxer. Who knew?
Brooklyn Marshall is a slave. No, no an actual slave not the kind I was thinking when I started Counterpunch. He’s committed a crime and rather than going to prison he’s enslaved. He’s also a champion boxer on the slave circuit and a rent boy. Mr. Voinov likens Brooklyn’s situation to that of a thoroughbred which I agree with for the most part, although I think thoroughbreds are treated better than Brooklyn. He has a ghost management team that “handles” him. When he’s not at an appointment he’s under the ever watchful eye of Curtis, a "bodyguard" with his perma-tonfa and/or his coach, Les.
Yes. Yes you are.
Brooklyn is a complex character; he's taken some pretty serious blows and somehow found a way to survive. Honestly, if I saw him coming down the street, I’d likely cross it. His nickname isThe Mean Machine and he’s tough as nails. Seriously. I wouldn’t cross him. Had I not been privy to his inner musings I probably wouldn’t like him all that much either. However, Counterpunch is told entirely from Brooklyn’s perspective and, yes, he’s tough but he’s also vulnerable; he’s erected a façade to endure his slave status and the only place he can be free is in the ring-the only place where he’s not under someone else’s thumb.
This in depth characterization is what Mr. Voinov does best. He reminds me of a great character actor who immerses himself into the character until you don’t remember that he’s an actor. If you’re at all familiar with his work this should come as no surprise. The level of research he must’ve done to make Counterpunch authentic, I can’t even imagine. Everything from the lingo, training regimens, studying opponents, looking for weaknesses to how to fight, even what it’s like to actually be hit repeatedly and still get up at the sound of the bell is illustrated remarkably well-not that I’m an expert on boxing or anything.
Reading Counterpunch felt a lot like a boxing match actually. It took me to my knees in the late rounds. It’s not an easy read. Brooklyn has to endure some truly heinous abuse, most of which happens off the page but the impression is clear and it’s not pretty. Thankfully, the silver lining is Nathanial. Nathanial is, in my opinion, kind of obsessed with Brooklyn and a little bit relentless. He books him repeatedly and we find out later why. It was a bit of shock, I’ll say that. I’m still uncertain about the longevity of their relationship and Counterpunch leaves it on a bit vague. We’ll find out soon enough in the forthcoming Suckerpunch how they’ve fared.
My only quibble is the world wherein Counterpunch takes place. I spent about 75% of it thinking it was occurring sometime in the future until Brooklyn puts on a t-shirt that says something about 2012. So… we never got rid of slavery? When did we institute slavery as an alternative to prison? And I sure as hell hope we’ve cured things like HIV and herpes because there’s not a condom in sight! I’m not asking for extensive explanations but perhaps a prologue.
All told I really did enjoy Counterpunch as much as a book this gritty can be enjoyed. Though, to be fair, I am partial to Mr. Voinov’s writing style which is always intelligent. He has an uncanny ability to make his characters relatable, three dimensional and I enjoyed Brooklyn’s sense of humor quite a bit. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Counterpunch to everyone, but if you enjoy a read that will make you uncomfortable and maybe a little bit angry I think you’ll enjoy this.
Best LOL moment:
Well, I thought it was funny.
Brooklyn Marshall is a slave. No, no an actual slave not the kind I was thinking when I started Counterpunch. He’s committed a crime and rather than going to prison he’s enslaved. He’s also a champion boxer on the slave circuit and a rent boy. Mr. Voinov likens Brooklyn’s situation to that of a thoroughbred which I agree with for the most part, although I think thoroughbreds are treated better than Brooklyn. He has a ghost management team that “handles” him. When he’s not at an appointment he’s under the ever watchful eye of Curtis, a "bodyguard" with his perma-tonfa and/or his coach, Les.
"…I'm temperamentally unsuited to being a slave?"
Yes. Yes you are.
Brooklyn is a complex character; he's taken some pretty serious blows and somehow found a way to survive. Honestly, if I saw him coming down the street, I’d likely cross it. His nickname isThe Mean Machine and he’s tough as nails. Seriously. I wouldn’t cross him. Had I not been privy to his inner musings I probably wouldn’t like him all that much either. However, Counterpunch is told entirely from Brooklyn’s perspective and, yes, he’s tough but he’s also vulnerable; he’s erected a façade to endure his slave status and the only place he can be free is in the ring-the only place where he’s not under someone else’s thumb.
"I'm a fighter. And when they hit me..." If it hurts, I find more strength. I get mad. I want to kill."
This in depth characterization is what Mr. Voinov does best. He reminds me of a great character actor who immerses himself into the character until you don’t remember that he’s an actor. If you’re at all familiar with his work this should come as no surprise. The level of research he must’ve done to make Counterpunch authentic, I can’t even imagine. Everything from the lingo, training regimens, studying opponents, looking for weaknesses to how to fight, even what it’s like to actually be hit repeatedly and still get up at the sound of the bell is illustrated remarkably well-not that I’m an expert on boxing or anything.
Reading Counterpunch felt a lot like a boxing match actually. It took me to my knees in the late rounds. It’s not an easy read. Brooklyn has to endure some truly heinous abuse, most of which happens off the page but the impression is clear and it’s not pretty. Thankfully, the silver lining is Nathanial. Nathanial is, in my opinion, kind of obsessed with Brooklyn and a little bit relentless. He books him repeatedly and we find out later why. It was a bit of shock, I’ll say that. I’m still uncertain about the longevity of their relationship and Counterpunch leaves it on a bit vague. We’ll find out soon enough in the forthcoming Suckerpunch how they’ve fared.
My only quibble is the world wherein Counterpunch takes place. I spent about 75% of it thinking it was occurring sometime in the future until Brooklyn puts on a t-shirt that says something about 2012. So… we never got rid of slavery? When did we institute slavery as an alternative to prison? And I sure as hell hope we’ve cured things like HIV and herpes because there’s not a condom in sight! I’m not asking for extensive explanations but perhaps a prologue.
All told I really did enjoy Counterpunch as much as a book this gritty can be enjoyed. Though, to be fair, I am partial to Mr. Voinov’s writing style which is always intelligent. He has an uncanny ability to make his characters relatable, three dimensional and I enjoyed Brooklyn’s sense of humor quite a bit. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Counterpunch to everyone, but if you enjoy a read that will make you uncomfortable and maybe a little bit angry I think you’ll enjoy this.
Best LOL moment:
"Good morning."
"Fuck, you move like a wraith."
Well, I thought it was funny.
January 30, 2014
I was a bit afraid to read this book. I know WHY.
I'm not really in this slave thing.
I actually try to avoid this kind of books.
But it is Aleksandr Voinov and I had to read it anyway. Sooner or later. Besides it was not only a slave story, it was a boxer story.
The fact that this book was shortly removed from sale to be re-issued in due course reminded me of this book that was waiting it's turn on my kindle for a while already.
It is not a typical slave story, not only because it is our familiar reality with its real names and its real surroundings- except of this tiny difference- it is a slave society. People could be born as slaves but also could be sold into slavery. The last happened to Brooklyn Marshall who was convicted of murder and instead of a prisoner became a slave and the best slave boxer of a heavyweight.
His life consists of boxing, humiliating, training and sex services for his wealthier fans.
Until Nathaniel Bishop appears in his life...
In spite of my dislike of slave fiction, I enjoyed the story and I've finished it almost in one sitting.
A beautifully written novel with unexpected turns and twists, powerful characters, well written boxing scenes and of course hot sex scenes, dark and strong enough to recognize a handwriting of Aleksandr Voinov.
You won't be disappointed!!!
December 5, 2011
This is a bit of a tough read - it is a slave story, with non-con sex and violence implicit in that. But it is beautifully done, with an engaging hero, a plot that moves well and logically, and an intensity that feels very real. The fight sequences are believable and engrossing without being over detailed. The emotion is raw but not angsty. As long as the basic tenets of the story don't cause major problems for you, this one is highly recommended.
September 16, 2024
Brooklyn es un boxeador de peso pesado para la liga de esclavos, pero no siempre fue así. Antes era un policía libre, casado, viviendo su vida tranquilo como boxeador amateur y sin ningún interés de volverse profesional. Todo cambio cuando fue encontrado culpable de matar a una joven en una revuelta contra los derechos de los esclavos, y fue condenado a toda una vida de esclavitud. Pero ahora, es uno de los boxeadores de la liga de esclavos que mejor ganancia produce y eso le ha permitido tener un propósito. Pero que pasa cuando la opción de volver a ser libre llega a sus manos? Podrá tomarla? Podrá volver a su vida anterior? Será capaz de encontrar a alguien que quiera estar con él de nuevo?
Esta libro es bastante corto, pero tiene muchísima mas información sobre el universo que el anterior. También es un libro con más romance y esperanza, y menos tortura o BDSM. En fin, es un libro de romance entre dos personas cuyas clases sociales son muy diferentes y que intentan hacer todo lo que este a su alcance para esta juntos.
Y si, tiene demasiada terminología de boxeo, lo que lo hace por momentos aburrido y lento, pero que también le da un poco mas de contexto al ambiente en el que vive el prota.
En resumen, este libro me resulto mucho mas entretenido que el anterior, y quiero ver que otras cosas tiene este autor para leer mas adelante.
PD. Cuando comencé esta serie, no me imagine que fuera multiautor, pero eso me permite conocer nuevos escritores y tener mas opciones de lectura en este género.
Esta libro es bastante corto, pero tiene muchísima mas información sobre el universo que el anterior. También es un libro con más romance y esperanza, y menos tortura o BDSM. En fin, es un libro de romance entre dos personas cuyas clases sociales son muy diferentes y que intentan hacer todo lo que este a su alcance para esta juntos.
Y si, tiene demasiada terminología de boxeo, lo que lo hace por momentos aburrido y lento, pero que también le da un poco mas de contexto al ambiente en el que vive el prota.
En resumen, este libro me resulto mucho mas entretenido que el anterior, y quiero ver que otras cosas tiene este autor para leer mas adelante.
PD. Cuando comencé esta serie, no me imagine que fuera multiautor, pero eso me permite conocer nuevos escritores y tener mas opciones de lectura en este género.
January 14, 2015
Me cuesta armar una reseña con cierta estructura gramatical; hay demasiadas ideas, pensamientos, sensaciones dando vueltas. Pero creo que puedo destacar o sacar en limpio algunas cuestiones.
Por un lado, no puedo cansarme nunca de remarcar las infinitas capas que tienen siempre las historias de Voinov, su natural e inevitable talento para ofrecer historias de múltiples aristas, que se alejan de la chatura y planicie de tantas miles que ofrece el mercado. A su vez, su capacidad natural y trabajo meticuloso y dedicado para ofrecer personajes complejos, a veces sufridos, de duro exterior, pero que siempre se te quedan prendidos por su infinita potencia, pasión, dulzura y franqueza. Ya lo dijo Lenore al final de su reseña, con absoluta precisión: "Aleksandr Voinov is a master in creating dark, strong, tormented and passionate characters and in unraveling their tender and loyal and spirited and committed side."
Pero otro de los aspectos que sobresalen en Counterpunch es el tema de la libertad. De lo que implica. Y me hizo pensar, mucho más a la luz de los últimos sucesos harto conocidos, en qué entendemos realmente por "ser libres". Y si podemos verlo como algo más que un valor en sí mismo, como algo que no sea un bien absoluto, un horizonte moral al que todos deben aspirar. ¿Por qué se supone que es deseable?, ¿hay matices o puntos grises, o ser -o no- libres se constituyen solo como elementos inmutables, cerrados sobre sí mismos?" Un colega argentino escribió acertadamente en un diario de circulación local que "Como todas las libertades, la de expresión es contextual, enmarcada en normas, costumbres, climas de época y consensos sociales. El orden que requiere la libertad para poder existir es un orden que requiere responsabilidad en su ejercicio."
El universo en el que transcurre Counterpunch no es tan diferente al nuestro. Es la efectivización o la concreción -en una ley o mandato explícita- de esos mismos valores absolutos que Occidente ha impuesto a todo el resto de la civilización, cual bandera, sin entender de contextos ni circunstancias.
La historia es hermosa. Tiene una alucinante galería de personajes principales y secundarios, que van encastrando cual maquinaria aceitada y pivotean alrededor del protagonista. Ay, Brooklyn Brooklyn. Se metió bajó la piel desde el vamos, por la certeza de sus ideas y la fuerza de sus emociones. Brook tiene muy en claro lo que implica la esclavitud y la libertad, en qué escala se mueven y el enorme volumen de hipocresía de los que se dicen “hombres libres”. Lo amé con ferocidad, y la dinámica con Nathaniel es -para mí- completamente verosímil, más allá de ciertas dudas con cómo se terminó resolviendo el misterio detrás del abogado. Y de que me cueste un poco más entender y justificar sus acciones hacia/con Brook. Si bien el impacto de recibir afecto real y humano, cuando siempre te han tratado como una herramienta para un propósito, debe ser muy desestabilizante, no siento que sea solo eso lo que explique el amor entre ellos. De todas formas, sí me resultó un poco apresurado el final, como envuelto para regalo en los últimos 5 segundos, y con cierta de sensación de “esto fue un poco corto”.
Espero con mucha ansiedad ahora saber de qué manera estos hombres van a lidiar con la nueva condición de libertad. Cualquiera que sea.
Por un lado, no puedo cansarme nunca de remarcar las infinitas capas que tienen siempre las historias de Voinov, su natural e inevitable talento para ofrecer historias de múltiples aristas, que se alejan de la chatura y planicie de tantas miles que ofrece el mercado. A su vez, su capacidad natural y trabajo meticuloso y dedicado para ofrecer personajes complejos, a veces sufridos, de duro exterior, pero que siempre se te quedan prendidos por su infinita potencia, pasión, dulzura y franqueza. Ya lo dijo Lenore al final de su reseña, con absoluta precisión: "Aleksandr Voinov is a master in creating dark, strong, tormented and passionate characters and in unraveling their tender and loyal and spirited and committed side."
Pero otro de los aspectos que sobresalen en Counterpunch es el tema de la libertad. De lo que implica. Y me hizo pensar, mucho más a la luz de los últimos sucesos harto conocidos, en qué entendemos realmente por "ser libres". Y si podemos verlo como algo más que un valor en sí mismo, como algo que no sea un bien absoluto, un horizonte moral al que todos deben aspirar. ¿Por qué se supone que es deseable?, ¿hay matices o puntos grises, o ser -o no- libres se constituyen solo como elementos inmutables, cerrados sobre sí mismos?" Un colega argentino escribió acertadamente en un diario de circulación local que "Como todas las libertades, la de expresión es contextual, enmarcada en normas, costumbres, climas de época y consensos sociales. El orden que requiere la libertad para poder existir es un orden que requiere responsabilidad en su ejercicio."
El universo en el que transcurre Counterpunch no es tan diferente al nuestro. Es la efectivización o la concreción -en una ley o mandato explícita- de esos mismos valores absolutos que Occidente ha impuesto a todo el resto de la civilización, cual bandera, sin entender de contextos ni circunstancias.
La historia es hermosa. Tiene una alucinante galería de personajes principales y secundarios, que van encastrando cual maquinaria aceitada y pivotean alrededor del protagonista. Ay, Brooklyn Brooklyn. Se metió bajó la piel desde el vamos, por la certeza de sus ideas y la fuerza de sus emociones. Brook tiene muy en claro lo que implica la esclavitud y la libertad, en qué escala se mueven y el enorme volumen de hipocresía de los que se dicen “hombres libres”. Lo amé con ferocidad, y la dinámica con Nathaniel es -para mí- completamente verosímil, más allá de ciertas dudas con cómo se terminó resolviendo el misterio detrás del abogado. Y de que me cueste un poco más entender y justificar sus acciones hacia/con Brook. Si bien el impacto de recibir afecto real y humano, cuando siempre te han tratado como una herramienta para un propósito, debe ser muy desestabilizante, no siento que sea solo eso lo que explique el amor entre ellos. De todas formas, sí me resultó un poco apresurado el final, como envuelto para regalo en los últimos 5 segundos, y con cierta de sensación de “esto fue un poco corto”.
Espero con mucha ansiedad ahora saber de qué manera estos hombres van a lidiar con la nueva condición de libertad. Cualquiera que sea.
May 7, 2012
I am a somewhat newbie to the whole M/M erotic genre. I used to just turned away from anything that had to do with M/M, I read one story awhile back, and I felt that I was reading about a man and woman. That put me off. Although, I know that is the stereo type to most M/M relationships, for some reason it just doesn’t do it for me when I am reading about intimacy with two males. I want masculine, I want fire, I want heat, I want some dirty talk. I want two sweat, hot, delicious pieces of men getting it on for my wicked reading pleasure. But I need story too. For some reason I have this sick need to read a good plot with my smut. Call me an old fashion kind of girl, but I need meat to my reading. Even if I am reading the genre of fiction most people go “Oh, you read THOSE kinds of books.”
Well, I hate to break it to the haters, but this was one of the best books I have read so far this year. Not only did it give me grit, guts, and passion. It left me wanting to rail at some of the characters in the book. I was engulfed, imprisoned in this pseudo reality where punishment for crimes can mean jail time or to become slaves. I have to say, the men might just have it better than the women in this world. Women seem to be, like always, just breeders or sex objects. And although Brooklyn was subjected to sexual slavery, he was a warrior in his own right. Brooklyn is the type of male I hope to read about in a M/M book. He is strong, clever, witty, and yet he holds a key vulnerability that put me on his side the entire time I was reading this book. It was both impressive and intoxicating to read.
Every inch of this story drew me, consumed me, and I had a hard time putting it down to get other tasks done around the house. The story had a smooth plot that didn’t jerk me or jar my reading. In fact, it was like watching a movie in my mind. I could see this on the big screen or sitting in my room watching it late at night. I feel in love with Brooklyn, if I was in that world he would be my hero. I would also want to free him, which to be honest, I don’t think I would fall into the 1% of that time period. The story had some very light BDSM elements that wetted my appetite for a little D/s. I wouldn’t really call this a ‘romance’, for me the plot was so intricate, so well done that it was just a great story to read.
Nathaniel was a character we all fell in love with. He was masculine and sensitive and we all wanted fall into his arms. Even if he didn’t swing towards the ladies, he was a man you wanted to admire, and at the same time you just couldn’t understand some of his actions, which were all sorted out in the end. The villain element was brilliantly executed. Not only did I want to kill them, but I wanted to subject them to the same torment that Brooklyn was after an incident in the book(trying to not spit out spoilers). I have to say, from beginning to end the book was a very satisfying read, and even if you aren’t sure about a M/M read, I would take a chance on this book. Well written, fantastically executed, I recommend this to all readers!
Well, I hate to break it to the haters, but this was one of the best books I have read so far this year. Not only did it give me grit, guts, and passion. It left me wanting to rail at some of the characters in the book. I was engulfed, imprisoned in this pseudo reality where punishment for crimes can mean jail time or to become slaves. I have to say, the men might just have it better than the women in this world. Women seem to be, like always, just breeders or sex objects. And although Brooklyn was subjected to sexual slavery, he was a warrior in his own right. Brooklyn is the type of male I hope to read about in a M/M book. He is strong, clever, witty, and yet he holds a key vulnerability that put me on his side the entire time I was reading this book. It was both impressive and intoxicating to read.
Every inch of this story drew me, consumed me, and I had a hard time putting it down to get other tasks done around the house. The story had a smooth plot that didn’t jerk me or jar my reading. In fact, it was like watching a movie in my mind. I could see this on the big screen or sitting in my room watching it late at night. I feel in love with Brooklyn, if I was in that world he would be my hero. I would also want to free him, which to be honest, I don’t think I would fall into the 1% of that time period. The story had some very light BDSM elements that wetted my appetite for a little D/s. I wouldn’t really call this a ‘romance’, for me the plot was so intricate, so well done that it was just a great story to read.
Nathaniel was a character we all fell in love with. He was masculine and sensitive and we all wanted fall into his arms. Even if he didn’t swing towards the ladies, he was a man you wanted to admire, and at the same time you just couldn’t understand some of his actions, which were all sorted out in the end. The villain element was brilliantly executed. Not only did I want to kill them, but I wanted to subject them to the same torment that Brooklyn was after an incident in the book(trying to not spit out spoilers). I have to say, from beginning to end the book was a very satisfying read, and even if you aren’t sure about a M/M read, I would take a chance on this book. Well written, fantastically executed, I recommend this to all readers!
January 16, 2013
~~~
No spoilers -- Just some quotes.
Go look this up before reading this book:
"What's my name, Ernie?"
-------------------- Muhammad Ali to Ernie Tyrell
**** I feel it is important to note that you do not need to be a boxing fan or aficionado to understand and ultimately love this book. Voinov carefully places you into this world and guides you effortlessly, so, the experience is completely full, rich and most of all, enlightening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walls closing in with no way to escape, is a feeling that penetrates throughout this story. Voinov's tight writing and hard hitting peak in this book, leaving a lasting impact.
THE CHARACTERS:
We see our own, familiar world, with some slight changes to the rules, through Brooklyn's eyes. He is a man who has known freedom and has lost it. He is forced to tolerate confinement, humiliation, pain, torture, sexual abuse and worst of all, loss of self. Brooklyn is a slave.
"Okay, so slavery sometimes fucks up freemen, too."
Nathaniel, the smooth, educated, wealthy gentleman is the only one, who it seems, knows there is more to Brooklyn than being a slave. Nathaniel appears to be perfect, but as is typical for Voinov, that would be too easy.
Although this story comes to us through Brooklyn, the secondary characters are vivid. They range from likeable to hated. Watching Voinov paint such depth into these characters is fascinating. A writer could easily let his novel rest on the strength of his primary players, but not Voinov, he develops them to extract a full range of emotion from the reader.
THE STORY:
As a reader it is hard to know what is worse; Brooklyn's sentence or his self-imprisonment. He knows he is still a man with values and worth but he also feels that he can never pay for his crimes. This would be easy to accept if you were certain that he deserved his punishment. The nagging feeling that eats at the pit of your stomach just grows and grows until you think both Brooklyn and yourself are going to burst. Then he does. And so do you.
This book could be read for the pure intent of enjoying a tense ride. There is, however, so much more here. A lesson. Do I dare compare this with the despair and hope in a book as epic as Uncle Tom's Cabin? I do. The message is no less important now than it was in 1852. Or in 1967 when Muhammad Ali demanded to be acknowledged. Powerful writing, powerful message, powerful characters. Easily comparable.
"Fight like a man or die like a slave."
In a word, exceptional.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com
November 5, 2011
First of all I must say I'm turning into a die hard Voinov fan. His ability to write strong characters, and not only strong MC's, is admirable.
When the release date for this book finally arrived, and my pre-ordered copy was ready to download, I was almost giddy with excitement (nothing can compare to hot sex and bloody fights). And now, my kindle still on, showing the last page of the book, I feel like I've just spent the last few hours living a story that only someone with the the ability to read my mind, and see what I truly desire in a book, could come up with.
The book is, as expected, gritty, humiliating, heartbreaking at points, endlessly tender, dark and violent, but also surprisingly romantic.
We only get to read the story from Brooklyn's POV, but for me that didn't limit the experience. I still felt like I got to know Nathaniel. And even if I loved Brooklyn and his relentless spirit, his will to find something to live for when there was nothing left, his almost cocky personality (when it had the opportunity to shine through), his pride and morality. I ended up worshiping Nathaniel. When Nathaniel was first introduced, I really didn't know what to think of him. But he sneaked his way into my heart. That doesn't mean he's perfect, or that he doesn't make mistakes. But his political views (anyone that fights the system, when the system is fucked up, deserves a little worshiping imo), his power, the undefinable ability to be weak and strong at the same time. It all comes together into one of the most wonderful characters I can imagine.
The only thing that I was abit skeptical about before I started reading was the whole boxing-theme. Not because I don't enjoy books with a sport-theme, but because this particular sport has never been fascinating to me in the slightest. But I am happy to say I was proven so so wrong. The actual fighting scenes are in my opinion some of the best ones in the whole book. They captured me, and I could almost feel the throb of the intro music, the cheering, even the punches.
The only negative thing I can think of to say about the story, is that I want to know more. I want to know more about the Cubans, Cash, Eric, Hazel, Thorne, even more about Les.
It's hard to find the words that gives this book the review it deserves. I simply loved it.
Standing ovation to you Aleks.
When the release date for this book finally arrived, and my pre-ordered copy was ready to download, I was almost giddy with excitement (nothing can compare to hot sex and bloody fights). And now, my kindle still on, showing the last page of the book, I feel like I've just spent the last few hours living a story that only someone with the the ability to read my mind, and see what I truly desire in a book, could come up with.
The book is, as expected, gritty, humiliating, heartbreaking at points, endlessly tender, dark and violent, but also surprisingly romantic.
We only get to read the story from Brooklyn's POV, but for me that didn't limit the experience. I still felt like I got to know Nathaniel. And even if I loved Brooklyn and his relentless spirit, his will to find something to live for when there was nothing left, his almost cocky personality (when it had the opportunity to shine through), his pride and morality. I ended up worshiping Nathaniel. When Nathaniel was first introduced, I really didn't know what to think of him. But he sneaked his way into my heart. That doesn't mean he's perfect, or that he doesn't make mistakes. But his political views (anyone that fights the system, when the system is fucked up, deserves a little worshiping imo), his power, the undefinable ability to be weak and strong at the same time. It all comes together into one of the most wonderful characters I can imagine.
The only thing that I was abit skeptical about before I started reading was the whole boxing-theme. Not because I don't enjoy books with a sport-theme, but because this particular sport has never been fascinating to me in the slightest. But I am happy to say I was proven so so wrong. The actual fighting scenes are in my opinion some of the best ones in the whole book. They captured me, and I could almost feel the throb of the intro music, the cheering, even the punches.
The only negative thing I can think of to say about the story, is that I want to know more. I want to know more about the Cubans, Cash, Eric, Hazel, Thorne, even more about Les.
It's hard to find the words that gives this book the review it deserves. I simply loved it.
Standing ovation to you Aleks.
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