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Tribute
When the fearsome warlord Brasius chooses Kynon as his tribute, Kynon tells himself it’s the price of peace, and that he can endure anything. If his slavery will save his father’s kingdom, then he will be a slave and submit to every indignity the warlord and the senate of Segasa require of him. He can live with the shame; it’s the mind-blowing pleasure that frightens him.
But the warlord wants more than a tribute who will respond eagerly to whips and bondage. The warlord might just want the man underneath: the prince, the soldier and the tribute, if Kynon can figure out who that is. On an enforced journey of self-discovery, Kynon learns that being the warlord’s tribute isn’t just about submission. And, to be the tribute that Brasius wants him to be, Kynon will have to defy all the traditions of Segasa and risk the wrath of the senate that really holds his chains.
Publisher's Note: This book is primarily LGBT m/m but contains one or more scenes of m/f sexual interaction. It also contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: strong BDSM theme and elements, dubious consent, violence. Readers with a history of rape or sexual abuse may find elements of this story disturbing.
But the warlord wants more than a tribute who will respond eagerly to whips and bondage. The warlord might just want the man underneath: the prince, the soldier and the tribute, if Kynon can figure out who that is. On an enforced journey of self-discovery, Kynon learns that being the warlord’s tribute isn’t just about submission. And, to be the tribute that Brasius wants him to be, Kynon will have to defy all the traditions of Segasa and risk the wrath of the senate that really holds his chains.
Publisher's Note: This book is primarily LGBT m/m but contains one or more scenes of m/f sexual interaction. It also contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: strong BDSM theme and elements, dubious consent, violence. Readers with a history of rape or sexual abuse may find elements of this story disturbing.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2011
69 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Henry
103 books2,280 followersI like to tell stories. Mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters. They gotta work for it though. No free lunches on my watch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
January 7, 2018
3.5 You can read the blurb for yourself, so I’m going to skip summarizing the plot today. Although I recommend taking the warnings into account. If only because you won’t have to end up feeling obliged to 1 star this book for it not matching your expectations of beautiful submission and star-crossed lovers love. There’s nothing beautiful or swoon-worthy about Tribute. Not in the conventional sense anyway.
Harsh, porn-packed pain and humiliation and master/slave dynamics is what you get instead. It was cruel. And yet... not nearly as cruel as I had anticipated. Partly because the characters remained a little distant, I was never terrified. Narrator Prince Kynon didn’t crawl underneath my skin, thus ensuring that I was merely a spectator and didn’t have to join him on his sickening roller-coaster ride. I wasn’t sorry.
And this may sound weird, but Henry has such an entertaining writing style that I wanted to grab a bowl of popcorn and happily munch my way through another rape scene instead of gag and shudder. Imagine being able to write pulpy non con: that’s kind of special, right?
Not that I wasn’t disappointed on occasions. Warlord Brasius’ newly acquired virginal tributes (AKA war captives) were given a magical instant-lust inducing potion that turned them into fuck toys. I think I would have appreciated a dash of forced seduction, perhaps a little unreleased sexual tension and overall more mind-fuckery.
Now Brasius. I ended up being vaguely dissatisfied with how he managed his business. His business being his tributes. Despite his power, good looks and other obvious..assets, he’s the kind of master I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. The man’s a contradictory mess. Due to his role, it was expected of him to display his dominance over his captured enemies. And so he cruelly humiliated Kynon left and right, then he You don’t have to be a 19 year old Prince to slip into a nervous breakdown because of these mixed signals. Also, I had hoped that Brasius would be more demanding in an intellectual way. At some point it appeared as if he made an attempt, when he invited Kynon to . But that scene, too, spiraled into straight-forward humiliation.
If you decide to give Tribute a go, I’m curious to hear what you think about the romance aspect. I personally didn’t buy for a second that this was anything more than Stockholm Syndrome and whatever other labels apply. I got the impression that a mentally stable Kynon wouldn’t have swayed into that/those directions if he were given a choice. By now, it’s not a secret that I’m not a fan of HEAs that seem misplaced. So I’m just going to play nice and pretend that this crazy conclusion didn’t happen to this book.
Harsh, porn-packed pain and humiliation and master/slave dynamics is what you get instead. It was cruel. And yet... not nearly as cruel as I had anticipated. Partly because the characters remained a little distant, I was never terrified. Narrator Prince Kynon didn’t crawl underneath my skin, thus ensuring that I was merely a spectator and didn’t have to join him on his sickening roller-coaster ride. I wasn’t sorry.
And this may sound weird, but Henry has such an entertaining writing style that I wanted to grab a bowl of popcorn and happily munch my way through another rape scene instead of gag and shudder. Imagine being able to write pulpy non con: that’s kind of special, right?
Not that I wasn’t disappointed on occasions. Warlord Brasius’ newly acquired virginal tributes (AKA war captives) were given a magical instant-lust inducing potion that turned them into fuck toys. I think I would have appreciated a dash of forced seduction, perhaps a little unreleased sexual tension and overall more mind-fuckery.
Now Brasius. I ended up being vaguely dissatisfied with how he managed his business. His business being his tributes. Despite his power, good looks and other obvious..assets, he’s the kind of master I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. The man’s a contradictory mess. Due to his role, it was expected of him to display his dominance over his captured enemies. And so he cruelly humiliated Kynon left and right, then he You don’t have to be a 19 year old Prince to slip into a nervous breakdown because of these mixed signals. Also, I had hoped that Brasius would be more demanding in an intellectual way. At some point it appeared as if he made an attempt, when he invited Kynon to . But that scene, too, spiraled into straight-forward humiliation.
If you decide to give Tribute a go, I’m curious to hear what you think about the romance aspect. I personally didn’t buy for a second that this was anything more than Stockholm Syndrome and whatever other labels apply. I got the impression that a mentally stable Kynon wouldn’t have swayed into that/those directions if he were given a choice. By now, it’s not a secret that I’m not a fan of HEAs that seem misplaced. So I’m just going to play nice and pretend that this crazy conclusion didn’t happen to this book.
January 29, 2014
insanely hot.
top-shelf master-slave fapmatter.
erotica with this kind of feel for language is my cuppa. i've learned how to identify it quickly and efficiently; within a paragraph or two on the first page i already know whether to fetch extra towels and/or a saline drip for the kind of long-haul, compulsive onanism that would put a lesser mortal in the hospital.
very minor structural/conceptual flaws inhibited my opinion of the overall success of the book as a novel—i had problems with the story—but the sex was spectacular. my opinion of the overall success of the book as a masturbatory aid...
...well.
i ran out of clean towels. i'm down to pillowcases and socks.
top-shelf master-slave fapmatter.
erotica with this kind of feel for language is my cuppa. i've learned how to identify it quickly and efficiently; within a paragraph or two on the first page i already know whether to fetch extra towels and/or a saline drip for the kind of long-haul, compulsive onanism that would put a lesser mortal in the hospital.
very minor structural/conceptual flaws inhibited my opinion of the overall success of the book as a novel—i had problems with the story—but the sex was spectacular. my opinion of the overall success of the book as a masturbatory aid...
...well.
i ran out of clean towels. i'm down to pillowcases and socks.
August 31, 2011
UPDATE My official review is approved and below. I loved this book. I realize there has been some very negative reviews and accusations of porn. Since I read a lot of porn, I'm pretty sure I know porn when I read it. I tend to read quite a bit of BDSM stories and I can safely say, this is not porn. I did feel ill at ease at times because I was just as confused as the poor Prince. I also want to clearly state, this is not your mother's romance novel. This is a TPE, slavery, non consensual and medium on the SM side. If you have any issues with the following:
1. BDSM
2. female genitalia
3. Slavery
This is not the book for you. However, if you are a BDSM junkie like me and have NO issues with m/m then this is a book for you. (If you answer "YES!" for your vampires to sparkle, then this is DEFINITELY NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU!) I enjoyed this book enough I'd read another book by this author.
My official review
The scenes in TRIBUTE blew my mind. I LOVED IT! Moving from privileged prince to collared slave in one day is enough to break any man. The increasing humiliation scenes in this book caused me to whimper along in sympathy. Oh how I wallowed guiltily in each stripping of Kynon's pride.
All is not what it seems when the losing kingdom pays tribute with twelve young and beautiful aristocratic children. Kynon is the youngest prince from the kingdom of Caralis. To keep his kingdom whole, under duress, he submits as a sex slave to the fearsome warlord, Brasius. Kynon fears this terrible monster who causes him pain, humiliation and betrayals. Kynon becomes the whipping boy for his country and pays for the sins of his father in flesh and blood.
Ms. Henry created a world where kings and aristocrats are looked down upon. The Senate is an entity taking over the world. They offer treaties first and then conquer if rejected. It's the Roman empire in a better light. Brasius is their shining star. He inspires fear in many yet he also commands complete loyalty from his warriors. This dichotomy confuses Kynon as he witnesses it firsthand. This theme is similar in Ms. Rice's Beauty trilogy but it is so much more in intensity.
This book covered in detail the art of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. The training regimen for the aristocratic youth kept me aroused throughout the entire book. The exquisite sexual tortures Kynon suffers at the hands of his trainer kept me happily humming.
TRIBUTE does include many different sexual scenes between two men. Since this an m/m erotic novel, I expected it. The addition of some female to male sex was sweet and unexpected. I really enjoyed this journey with Kynon as he learns about a culture and breaks through his preconceived notions. Kynon's struggle to submit and enjoyment in the pleasures of forced m/m sex is what really engaged me into the book. I felt his confusion and wanted to tell him, "just submit!" Although, that isn't really what was desired of Kynon. Brasius's desire for Kynon is more complicated and rather romantic. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy the intensity of conquered men forced into sexual training and slavery to a powerful alpha male. I can only hope the author writes more books in this world with more exploration into intense and non-consensual m/m BDSM.
1. BDSM
2. female genitalia
3. Slavery
This is not the book for you. However, if you are a BDSM junkie like me and have NO issues with m/m then this is a book for you. (If you answer "YES!" for your vampires to sparkle, then this is DEFINITELY NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU!) I enjoyed this book enough I'd read another book by this author.
My official review
The scenes in TRIBUTE blew my mind. I LOVED IT! Moving from privileged prince to collared slave in one day is enough to break any man. The increasing humiliation scenes in this book caused me to whimper along in sympathy. Oh how I wallowed guiltily in each stripping of Kynon's pride.
All is not what it seems when the losing kingdom pays tribute with twelve young and beautiful aristocratic children. Kynon is the youngest prince from the kingdom of Caralis. To keep his kingdom whole, under duress, he submits as a sex slave to the fearsome warlord, Brasius. Kynon fears this terrible monster who causes him pain, humiliation and betrayals. Kynon becomes the whipping boy for his country and pays for the sins of his father in flesh and blood.
Ms. Henry created a world where kings and aristocrats are looked down upon. The Senate is an entity taking over the world. They offer treaties first and then conquer if rejected. It's the Roman empire in a better light. Brasius is their shining star. He inspires fear in many yet he also commands complete loyalty from his warriors. This dichotomy confuses Kynon as he witnesses it firsthand. This theme is similar in Ms. Rice's Beauty trilogy but it is so much more in intensity.
This book covered in detail the art of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. The training regimen for the aristocratic youth kept me aroused throughout the entire book. The exquisite sexual tortures Kynon suffers at the hands of his trainer kept me happily humming.
TRIBUTE does include many different sexual scenes between two men. Since this an m/m erotic novel, I expected it. The addition of some female to male sex was sweet and unexpected. I really enjoyed this journey with Kynon as he learns about a culture and breaks through his preconceived notions. Kynon's struggle to submit and enjoyment in the pleasures of forced m/m sex is what really engaged me into the book. I felt his confusion and wanted to tell him, "just submit!" Although, that isn't really what was desired of Kynon. Brasius's desire for Kynon is more complicated and rather romantic. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy the intensity of conquered men forced into sexual training and slavery to a powerful alpha male. I can only hope the author writes more books in this world with more exploration into intense and non-consensual m/m BDSM.
June 24, 2018
Lisa Henry is a great author! Some of my favorite books are hers.
But this was...
I'm not a friend of BDSM stories, but sometimes they can be entertaining, especially in a historial/fantasy setting such as this one.
But Tribute was actually just a long sequence of sex, violence, 'character development' that consisted of a constant back and forth and an MC so flat and weak, it made me wonder how he ever made it into the king's army...
There's a kingdom that is invaded by an enemy force that bears a striking resemblance to Ancient Rome, both in the fact that they are led by a senate and have a weird taste for sex slaves that they call 'tributes'. A tribute is a person from a conquered realm (in our case, a prince) who is then brought to the capital where the person will be trained as a sex slave. In return, the conquered country will not be destroyed, but allowed to continue existing as a province. Very much like Europe in Ancient Roman times.
Prince Kynon becomes the tribute of warlord Brasius and gets f***ed from here to the northpole until he manages to
Too bad I didn't grow to like neither Kynon nor Brasius. They were both completely bland characters whose motivations were unclear to me most of the time.
It was cheesy. It was awful. And the ending actually shocked me, because I assume it is meant as a 'happy ending' ?!
Dear God! I knew Lisa Henry likes to torture her characters, but Kynon deserved a coup de grace here, seriously.
1 star!
But this was...
I'm not a friend of BDSM stories, but sometimes they can be entertaining, especially in a historial/fantasy setting such as this one.
But Tribute was actually just a long sequence of sex, violence, 'character development' that consisted of a constant back and forth and an MC so flat and weak, it made me wonder how he ever made it into the king's army...
There's a kingdom that is invaded by an enemy force that bears a striking resemblance to Ancient Rome, both in the fact that they are led by a senate and have a weird taste for sex slaves that they call 'tributes'. A tribute is a person from a conquered realm (in our case, a prince) who is then brought to the capital where the person will be trained as a sex slave. In return, the conquered country will not be destroyed, but allowed to continue existing as a province. Very much like Europe in Ancient Roman times.
Prince Kynon becomes the tribute of warlord Brasius and gets f***ed from here to the northpole until he manages to
Too bad I didn't grow to like neither Kynon nor Brasius. They were both completely bland characters whose motivations were unclear to me most of the time.
It was cheesy. It was awful. And the ending actually shocked me, because I assume it is meant as a 'happy ending' ?!
Dear God! I knew Lisa Henry likes to torture her characters, but Kynon deserved a coup de grace here, seriously.
1 star!
January 28, 2012
Um ... I agree this book truly is PWP torture/humiliation porn: I find it hot. I may be a bad person...
August 31, 2011
This is pure porn. BDSM porn. I'vew only read one or two medieval books so I may be wrong if I say it's set during those times. Kynon, th2 19-year old prince from Caralis, is taken by Brasius, the warlord who's conquered Caralis.
Brasius takes, of course, other prisoners and one of then is Alysia whom Kynon had had his eyes on since he was 16. Naturally, Brasius (who's around 30 years their senior), fucks Alysia and Kynon - in front of each other. Then later, he lets Kynon fuck Alysia then he does them both. And somewhere along, a little later, Rennick, a sort of personal bodyguard in charge of Kynon, is invited to join in. Then Brasius has Kynon give his childhood friend, Calon (or something that sounds like that) a blow-job while blindfolded; then there's the whipping and flogging by Mistress Hera who, as procurator, has the job of training these prisoners to be sexual submissives.
...or something to that effect.
I'm not sure whether there is a plot or not because by the time I got a little past halfway, I was rather exhausted by all that flogging and fucking - and I hadn't even quite recovered from the humiliation and rape of these two young people. Rennick was a nice guy but Mistress Hera creeped me out bigtime especially when she was feeling up the virginal Alysia.
Overall, I can't say I enjoyed this book. I found it gave me an icky feeling throughout and I doubt if I'll be reading another book by this author. BUT...if you are in a mood for porn, being paraded around naked, like girl cooties in your MM soup then you might just enjoy Tribute because it isn't badly written. I bought it thinking it was a sci-fi slave romance or some sort of slave romance but I was wrong. This is just a BDSM-themed porn in a medieval-type setting.
Brasius takes, of course, other prisoners and one of then is Alysia whom Kynon had had his eyes on since he was 16. Naturally, Brasius (who's around 30 years their senior), fucks Alysia and Kynon - in front of each other. Then later, he lets Kynon fuck Alysia then he does them both. And somewhere along, a little later, Rennick, a sort of personal bodyguard in charge of Kynon, is invited to join in. Then Brasius has Kynon give his childhood friend, Calon (or something that sounds like that) a blow-job while blindfolded; then there's the whipping and flogging by Mistress Hera who, as procurator, has the job of training these prisoners to be sexual submissives.
...or something to that effect.
I'm not sure whether there is a plot or not because by the time I got a little past halfway, I was rather exhausted by all that flogging and fucking - and I hadn't even quite recovered from the humiliation and rape of these two young people. Rennick was a nice guy but Mistress Hera creeped me out bigtime especially when she was feeling up the virginal Alysia.
Overall, I can't say I enjoyed this book. I found it gave me an icky feeling throughout and I doubt if I'll be reading another book by this author. BUT...if you are in a mood for porn, being paraded around naked, like girl cooties in your MM soup then you might just enjoy Tribute because it isn't badly written. I bought it thinking it was a sci-fi slave romance or some sort of slave romance but I was wrong. This is just a BDSM-themed porn in a medieval-type setting.
November 14, 2011
So this started out for a as a pretty fair to middlin story with BDSM / slavery, pretty much what I was looking for and I started to anticipate the romance. What I got was back and forth between tenderness and cruelty until it just became exhausting, and clear that Brasius was just cruel (and a coward when Kynon needed him most). I would say I can tolerate a pretty healthy amount of non-con and humiliation in my slave fic but wow this one was over the top. Not a recommended read especially if humiliation squicks you, I even had to skim sections but was still invested and wondering where the story was going, again with romance in mind. Also, there were what felt like tons of loose ends, mood shifts and inexplicable turns, I think mostly to keep the reader as confused as Kynon was. You never find out why they take tributes and specifically turn them into sex slaves, or how they integrate them into their society after their "time of service" is up. I really wish Kynon had read that book or his mother had revealed what she learned. But still, headed for a 3 star review. And then there was the end..... Way to pick me up and toss me right out of the story in a way the humiliation couldn't. In no way should this be classified as romance, this is slave brainwashing or, as another reviewer mentioned, a story about a slave with Stockholm syndrome.
September 10, 2017
Updated for 4 re-reads in 2013/2014/2017. I've upped the star rating to 5. I still have the parts that make me cringe a bit but it seems every time I re read it there is some other whole way of sort of viewing the story that seems completely different than the last way I viewed it. The more I read the more I understand and the more my humiliation trigger just isn't there. I think I get it. The 5 stars is a compliment from me because I nearly NEVER re read a book. In fact I can count the books I've re-read in the last 5 years on ONE hand and this one and Finding Zach are the only 2 MM books I habitually re read over and over. I should note that I still do not see Brasius as worthy - I just don't. But the nuances are more clear to me - and I'm o.k. with how the story ends.
Original Review
Let me start by saying I read a LOT of non con. A lot of slavery, capture, and pain focused books. My rating is not because I think this is porn or there are girl cooties in it or because I cannot stand non con. On the contrary - it is a primary sub genre for me.
Lisa Henry is an incredibly talented writer. She brings characters to life so vividly that you cannot but help to fall a bit in love (or hate!) with them. In this one Kynon is a tribute and Brasius is the warlord. Tributes are a tradition for the conquering nation and so Kynon, a conquered prince, becomes the property of Brasius.
The blurb describes what happens. I can only say I still intensely dislike Brasius, even after completing the book and getting my HEA. IMHO he didn't do anything to redeem himself. I mean I got the feeling I should forgive him, like Kynon, at the end but I just didn't. If Kynon really did or (more likely) he's just been so conditioned that he doesn't know any other way. It is not the pain or the pleasure - it is the humiliation. And let's be clear that humiliation where it's just the person and an act for me won't bother me. The parading through the streets with dried cum on Kynon's chest was fine. The training = fine. It was some of the other pieces that just did not sit well with me SINCE I was supposed to see Brasius as a guy worthy of an HEA with Kynon.
I didn't understand why the sex slave stuff? Yes yes it's an erotic novel but still the explanation just never really made sense. The whole concept of tributes - especially since they basically free them after they are done with their service. I kept thinking if you want to humiliate it would seem to me that having them serve you in all ways would be more effective. The explanation that the society is more open to sex makes it even more confusing. I mean humiliation via sexual servitude works best when the mores of the society treat sex and sexuality as taboo. Otherwise it lacks the bite. And I didn't get how, after all that happens as a tribute, all these folks just ponied up to be a good citizen enamored of the new country. As if none of that ever happened? Really? That's too much of a stretch. It's one thing to come to terms with what's been done to you, you liked it because you were drugged or because you grew to like it but it's quite another to go off on a merry way (Alysia) and end up discussing what type of furniture you are going to allow in the bedroom. If the character is going there I NEED to go there with her. In this one I just couldn't...there wasn't any development that led me that way so when things happen you have a WTF moment.
Anyway humiliation is such a hard limit to me that I don't find myself surprised about my reaction to those scenes. To some degree that, at its core, is what made Kynon's caring for him less than palatable to me. Then he totally bails - he's a coward. The opposite of what the whole book leads you to believe. I felt like a ping pong. I get it -- in war and all that -- and I could have understood it if the ending was not the way it was. WTF with the ending? That was messed up completely! NO WAY. I do not buy that at all.
There were places I liked the book. Truly the writing, dialogue is all very good. I normally try to separate my rating from content when I know that it is just something that is a trigger for me and not generally an issue for all. I knew going in about the slavery non con aspects - I just had a really hard time getting to the HEA sort of ending after all that had transpired. THEN with the last little twist. Well F*(k me. I don't think so. I COULD have gone there is Kynon was more just making the best he could out of what his life had become..but that's not what I got. He was in LOVE with Brasius. The ending IS an HEA. To me it seems confused. All along it read like dark erotica (NOT erotic romance) and then BAM at the end you get your HEA erotic romance ending. No. Just NO. It didn't work for me. The perfect contrast here is Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas. There are many similarities (as others have noted). But there is a HUGE difference in how the books end. In Comfort Food the ending was satisfying in a sick twisted way because it was sick and twisted and it just FIT. This one is like that one and, instead of the ending that satisfies the story, you first get a Cinderella feeling conclusion to the romance or Sleeping Beauty. It doesn't fit - and I could not in any way consider Brasius the hero worthy of the other hero. Didn't fit. And then to make it worse you get that ending that makes your stomach plunge. *shakes head*
Original Review
Let me start by saying I read a LOT of non con. A lot of slavery, capture, and pain focused books. My rating is not because I think this is porn or there are girl cooties in it or because I cannot stand non con. On the contrary - it is a primary sub genre for me.
Lisa Henry is an incredibly talented writer. She brings characters to life so vividly that you cannot but help to fall a bit in love (or hate!) with them. In this one Kynon is a tribute and Brasius is the warlord. Tributes are a tradition for the conquering nation and so Kynon, a conquered prince, becomes the property of Brasius.
The blurb describes what happens. I can only say I still intensely dislike Brasius, even after completing the book and getting my HEA. IMHO he didn't do anything to redeem himself. I mean I got the feeling I should forgive him, like Kynon, at the end but I just didn't. If Kynon really did or (more likely) he's just been so conditioned that he doesn't know any other way. It is not the pain or the pleasure - it is the humiliation. And let's be clear that humiliation where it's just the person and an act for me won't bother me. The parading through the streets with dried cum on Kynon's chest was fine. The training = fine. It was some of the other pieces that just did not sit well with me SINCE I was supposed to see Brasius as a guy worthy of an HEA with Kynon.
I didn't understand why the sex slave stuff? Yes yes it's an erotic novel but still the explanation just never really made sense. The whole concept of tributes - especially since they basically free them after they are done with their service. I kept thinking if you want to humiliate it would seem to me that having them serve you in all ways would be more effective. The explanation that the society is more open to sex makes it even more confusing. I mean humiliation via sexual servitude works best when the mores of the society treat sex and sexuality as taboo. Otherwise it lacks the bite. And I didn't get how, after all that happens as a tribute, all these folks just ponied up to be a good citizen enamored of the new country. As if none of that ever happened? Really? That's too much of a stretch. It's one thing to come to terms with what's been done to you, you liked it because you were drugged or because you grew to like it but it's quite another to go off on a merry way (Alysia) and end up discussing what type of furniture you are going to allow in the bedroom. If the character is going there I NEED to go there with her. In this one I just couldn't...there wasn't any development that led me that way so when things happen you have a WTF moment.
Anyway humiliation is such a hard limit to me that I don't find myself surprised about my reaction to those scenes. To some degree that, at its core, is what made Kynon's caring for him less than palatable to me. Then he totally bails - he's a coward. The opposite of what the whole book leads you to believe. I felt like a ping pong. I get it -- in war and all that -- and I could have understood it if the ending was not the way it was. WTF with the ending? That was messed up completely! NO WAY. I do not buy that at all.
There were places I liked the book. Truly the writing, dialogue is all very good. I normally try to separate my rating from content when I know that it is just something that is a trigger for me and not generally an issue for all. I knew going in about the slavery non con aspects - I just had a really hard time getting to the HEA sort of ending after all that had transpired. THEN with the last little twist. Well F*(k me. I don't think so. I COULD have gone there is Kynon was more just making the best he could out of what his life had become..but that's not what I got. He was in LOVE with Brasius. The ending IS an HEA. To me it seems confused. All along it read like dark erotica (NOT erotic romance) and then BAM at the end you get your HEA erotic romance ending. No. Just NO. It didn't work for me. The perfect contrast here is Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas. There are many similarities (as others have noted). But there is a HUGE difference in how the books end. In Comfort Food the ending was satisfying in a sick twisted way because it was sick and twisted and it just FIT. This one is like that one and, instead of the ending that satisfies the story, you first get a Cinderella feeling conclusion to the romance or Sleeping Beauty. It doesn't fit - and I could not in any way consider Brasius the hero worthy of the other hero. Didn't fit. And then to make it worse you get that ending that makes your stomach plunge. *shakes head*
November 2, 2011
2.5 - 3 stars
Review writing in process.
This one is hard for me to review. On the one hand, it gave me what I was looking for: slavery, humiliation, pain, non-consent/dubious consent. On the other hand, I ended the book a little dissatisfied. Because I fail at explaining myself without using comparisons, there will be many references to Concubine by Jill Knowles.
It had the same basic premise as Concubine: prince of conquered nation, for the sake of peace in his kingdom, becomes the enemy's sexual slave. Tribute had more humiliation in front of his countrymen, family and friends, which I appreciated because it showed the beginning of "slave training" in a way that heightened the sense of misery the prince would be feeling. But unlike Concubine which made me empathize and feel as sick to my stomach and conflicted as the prince was, I felt more distanced from the pain and humiliation of Prince Kynon in Tribute. I suppose that in a way, this distance is a good thing because I might not have been able to get through the book if I were feeling all that Kynon was: humiliation, pain, desperation, desire, guilt, betrayal, etc. But the distancing also was a factor in my ultimate sense of dissatisfaction at the end of the book.
I don't mind seeing m/f sex, or "girl-cooties" as some will call it, in what is (or seems to be) primarily a m/m story. And while some of the scenes with Alysia were pretty hot, I didn't see the purpose of her character in the story - unless it was to compare her experiences with Kynon's. She was not an interesting character as the author made little to no effort to develop her. She was bland, and could have been an inflatable woman for all the value she added to the book.
Kynon was young, and I thought that the author had written him quite well. He wasn't very well developed himself, but at least he didn't sound like a 9-year old nor did he sound too old to desperately want his mother's comfort. It felt like a nice blend of situation and age, which I feel like most authors are not so good with. The conflict he experienced trying to come to terms with his new life was fairly well done, but I couldn't really believe that he had been an unrealized, repressed pain slut with gay submissive tendencies. While in Concubine, the author had alluded to this possibility early on, the author of Tribute did not. This is also part of the reason why I was unable to fully accept that what Brasias and Kynon had was a true love relationship. In Concubine, the author showed how the Master was breaking in his slave, using the process of breaking in horses as an analogy. In this way, I could see how the slave was seduced and eventually grew to love his Master - for the kindnesses he had shown. In Tribute, although there were occasional acts of kindness, Brasias was more heavily into obliterating Kynon the prince, using humiliation to break him. The alternating kindness and humiliation confused Kynon, and left me unable to really see Brasias as anything but a little too cruel. For me, Kynon's fondness and need for Brasias appeared to stem from some form of Stockholm Syndrome. It reminded me of the relationship that eventually developed in Kitty Thomas's Comfort Food. In fact, some of Kynon's raging thoughts about his situation and how he viewed Brasias was quite reminiscent of Comfort Food's protagonist.
Strangely enough, in Concubine, the Master has somewhat sadistic tendencies which would make sense for there to be pain, but from my recollection, the story wasn't very big on pain. However, in Tribute, I did not get the strong sense that Brasias had the need to give pain, and yet there was an overload of it. Most of it was caused by Mistress Hera. Apparently, it was part of that nation's culture to train their Tributes into pain sluts, but this was not really expanded upon so to me, it doesn't make much sense that the excessive pain component was necessary.
The world-building was adequate. Expand on - more later
Another factor for my vague dissatisfaction with the book was the HEA. Now, I like HEA's. I read romance for them, and I avoid sad endings like the plague. But in this case, the HEA didn't please me because I saw Kynon's relationship with Brasias as more of a Stockholm Syndrome type, similar to Comfort Food. Therefore, I didn't like it that, to fit in a romantic HEA, the author chose to make the two love each other instead. I didn't believe that their love was a true one. I also didn't like how, after having gone through the misery of "Tribute training" himself,
Review writing in process.
This one is hard for me to review. On the one hand, it gave me what I was looking for: slavery, humiliation, pain, non-consent/dubious consent. On the other hand, I ended the book a little dissatisfied. Because I fail at explaining myself without using comparisons, there will be many references to Concubine by Jill Knowles.
It had the same basic premise as Concubine: prince of conquered nation, for the sake of peace in his kingdom, becomes the enemy's sexual slave. Tribute had more humiliation in front of his countrymen, family and friends, which I appreciated because it showed the beginning of "slave training" in a way that heightened the sense of misery the prince would be feeling. But unlike Concubine which made me empathize and feel as sick to my stomach and conflicted as the prince was, I felt more distanced from the pain and humiliation of Prince Kynon in Tribute. I suppose that in a way, this distance is a good thing because I might not have been able to get through the book if I were feeling all that Kynon was: humiliation, pain, desperation, desire, guilt, betrayal, etc. But the distancing also was a factor in my ultimate sense of dissatisfaction at the end of the book.
I don't mind seeing m/f sex, or "girl-cooties" as some will call it, in what is (or seems to be) primarily a m/m story. And while some of the scenes with Alysia were pretty hot, I didn't see the purpose of her character in the story - unless it was to compare her experiences with Kynon's. She was not an interesting character as the author made little to no effort to develop her. She was bland, and could have been an inflatable woman for all the value she added to the book.
Kynon was young, and I thought that the author had written him quite well. He wasn't very well developed himself, but at least he didn't sound like a 9-year old nor did he sound too old to desperately want his mother's comfort. It felt like a nice blend of situation and age, which I feel like most authors are not so good with. The conflict he experienced trying to come to terms with his new life was fairly well done, but I couldn't really believe that he had been an unrealized, repressed pain slut with gay submissive tendencies. While in Concubine, the author had alluded to this possibility early on, the author of Tribute did not. This is also part of the reason why I was unable to fully accept that what Brasias and Kynon had was a true love relationship. In Concubine, the author showed how the Master was breaking in his slave, using the process of breaking in horses as an analogy. In this way, I could see how the slave was seduced and eventually grew to love his Master - for the kindnesses he had shown. In Tribute, although there were occasional acts of kindness, Brasias was more heavily into obliterating Kynon the prince, using humiliation to break him. The alternating kindness and humiliation confused Kynon, and left me unable to really see Brasias as anything but a little too cruel. For me, Kynon's fondness and need for Brasias appeared to stem from some form of Stockholm Syndrome. It reminded me of the relationship that eventually developed in Kitty Thomas's Comfort Food. In fact, some of Kynon's raging thoughts about his situation and how he viewed Brasias was quite reminiscent of Comfort Food's protagonist.
Strangely enough, in Concubine, the Master has somewhat sadistic tendencies which would make sense for there to be pain, but from my recollection, the story wasn't very big on pain. However, in Tribute, I did not get the strong sense that Brasias had the need to give pain, and yet there was an overload of it. Most of it was caused by Mistress Hera. Apparently, it was part of that nation's culture to train their Tributes into pain sluts, but this was not really expanded upon so to me, it doesn't make much sense that the excessive pain component was necessary.
The world-building was adequate. Expand on - more later
Another factor for my vague dissatisfaction with the book was the HEA. Now, I like HEA's. I read romance for them, and I avoid sad endings like the plague. But in this case, the HEA didn't please me because I saw Kynon's relationship with Brasias as more of a Stockholm Syndrome type, similar to Comfort Food. Therefore, I didn't like it that, to fit in a romantic HEA, the author chose to make the two love each other instead. I didn't believe that their love was a true one. I also didn't like how, after having gone through the misery of "Tribute training" himself,
In short, I did like this book. There were parts where I liked what the author had done in Tribute, and there were parts where I thought that Jill Knowles had done better in Concubine. Yes, there were taboo themes in this book, but theose didn't bother me. What I was ultimately dissatisfied with was my inability to believe that what Kynon and Brasias had was love.
October 19, 2014
Tribute exemplifies everything I enjoy about Lisa Henry's writing. She puts her characters through hell and puts her readers in the passenger seat for that ride and make no mistake, Kynon goes through hell more than once.
Kynon's journey reminded me quite a bit of Beauty's from The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. The difference being that Kynon is more insightful than Beauty. Well, and Beauty was fickle. Cute lil thing.
Anyhoo, Kynon is a born prince of Caralis. He's the youngest of the princes and is precocious, outgoing, brave and loyal to the crown. When Caralis gets sacked by the feared Segasain warlord, Brasius, he believes he will be put to death as punishment for Caralis daring to defend itself against invasion. Instead he and several of his friends are taken as tributes with the intent of turning them into sex slaves.
Brasius has chosen Kynon and Alysia (for a short time) to become his. The training process they undergo is grueling. The transition from being a prince to a slave is a near constant struggle for Kynon. He's humiliated and degraded again and again, sodomized, kept naked, collared, drugged, flogged, whipped, bound, teased and shaved. He and Brasius have a brief but memorable backstory which seemingly influenced his choice. It's difficult to tell what exactly Brasius desires from Kynon oftentimes which is precisely what I enjoyed so much about this book.
Tribute is told entirely through Kynon and we are right there for his struggles with the transition as well as trying to understand Brasius. I don't think Kynon has ever failed at anything. He wants to please and keep people happy. The trouble is Brasius is hard to read, intimidating, cruel at times, plainspoken and demanding. At times Kynon hates him and at others sees him as comforting, but there's always a component of striving for obedience. It's the motivation for the obedience that vacillates.
So many times I read dub/non-con wherein the slave accepts his or her situation almost immediately which I find absurd. To go from being free to being a slave has to be, at minimum, difficult even under consensual circumstances much less having your freedom stripped from you. Lisa Henry gets that and showed us just how onerous the experience is especially when you have one too many cooks in the kitchen.
Mistress Hera complicates matters. Her and Brasius are at cross purposes in Kynon's training which complicates everything. This was really the only point of the novel that confused me. I never understood why she was so fixated on Kynon and Brasius' relationship. In the end, I wanted to kill her. With my bare hands. As did Brasius, I'm sure.
The sex/kink is pretty hot with moderately heavy SM even when I knew I probably shouldn't be thinking it was hot I still did. I think this makes me a terrible person. I blame Lisa Henry.
There are girly bits, though, just so you know.
Had they seen something in him that he hadn't even known was there? Maybe there was a part of him that had always wanted to be subjugated.
Truly a stunning debut novel from Ms. Henry. I'm amazed more people haven't read it.
June 2, 2018
4.5 stars for this hardcore fantasy - had a Claiming of Sleeping Beauty feel ... tributes, BDSM, and all things D/s.
This was a unique relationship but one I could see evolving. If you enjoy the darker side of fantasy then you will probably love this !
This was a unique relationship but one I could see evolving. If you enjoy the darker side of fantasy then you will probably love this !
September 15, 2015
** 2 stars **
While I appreciate a great story, and I can see it here, this did not work for me personally. For me, much of it was on the "wrong side" of uncomfortable. I liked some of it, but overall I didn't enjoy reading the story, so I can't give a higher rating. Bummer.
So, great writing as always from Lisa and an intriguing world, it just wasn't for me this time.
So, great writing as always from Lisa and an intriguing world, it just wasn't for me this time.
October 20, 2011
I haven't got the faintest idea how to rate this book. There were some points at the beginning where I really just wanted to stop reading and scrub my brain to forget the hard humiliation displayed in the pages. It was hard, extremely, from rapes and imbalance where even Kynon wasn't half as confused as I was.
The confusion probably lasted the longest. I couldn't see the point in the training and forced seduction, plus the few vague notions of affection were just that - too vague.
In case all the warnings weren't enough (because even I seemed to have missed them) there are a few m/f scenes in this book. There is rape and dub-con, although I saw even that as rape most of the time. In some occasions it was erotic but in others it really wasn't and it made even me stop and get a grip before I could continue. Depending on what you perceive as torture, there is probably a few instances of that too. And a lot of humiliation. God, that really gets to me the most.
Then at one moment, a bit after you pass the middle of the book, everything flips and suddenly the story is this amazing slave fiction you just want to keep on reading until your eyes bleed from exhaustion (not a pretty picture, I know, but I was willing). I think I liked that part the most. Where the conflict pushed the MCs out of their confused relationship and unset rules and it seemed almost as if they were getting a new beginning.
Their happy ending did happen, and it was beautiful. After so much discomfort, this book really needed the sweetness to balance it out, and in my opinion it got it. Only there wasn't nearly enough of it.
By the very last few pages, I was certain in my rating of four stars, only to be surprised once again. I didn't understand the point of the 'gift' nor did it sit particularly well with me. Also, why did it happen? And that is something I'm genuinely curious about and would appreciate it if someone would be kind enough to explain.
Sometimes writing everything down does help with decisions, but I can't say it did much in this instance. I'm still somewhere between 3 and 4, more than willing to settle on 3.5 stars. But since that doesn't work, I'm going with 4. I did like this book more than my usual 3 star books. Despite the fact I wanted to rate it with 2 more than once *grins*
The confusion probably lasted the longest. I couldn't see the point in the training and forced seduction, plus the few vague notions of affection were just that - too vague.
In case all the warnings weren't enough (because even I seemed to have missed them) there are a few m/f scenes in this book. There is rape and dub-con, although I saw even that as rape most of the time. In some occasions it was erotic but in others it really wasn't and it made even me stop and get a grip before I could continue. Depending on what you perceive as torture, there is probably a few instances of that too. And a lot of humiliation. God, that really gets to me the most.
Then at one moment, a bit after you pass the middle of the book, everything flips and suddenly the story is this amazing slave fiction you just want to keep on reading until your eyes bleed from exhaustion (not a pretty picture, I know, but I was willing). I think I liked that part the most. Where the conflict pushed the MCs out of their confused relationship and unset rules and it seemed almost as if they were getting a new beginning.
Their happy ending did happen, and it was beautiful. After so much discomfort, this book really needed the sweetness to balance it out, and in my opinion it got it. Only there wasn't nearly enough of it.
By the very last few pages, I was certain in my rating of four stars, only to be surprised once again. I didn't understand the point of the 'gift' nor did it sit particularly well with me. Also, why did it happen? And that is something I'm genuinely curious about and would appreciate it if someone would be kind enough to explain.
Sometimes writing everything down does help with decisions, but I can't say it did much in this instance. I'm still somewhere between 3 and 4, more than willing to settle on 3.5 stars. But since that doesn't work, I'm going with 4. I did like this book more than my usual 3 star books. Despite the fact I wanted to rate it with 2 more than once *grins*
March 5, 2014
A quick read by an author that I love. I really enjoyed the relationship between Kynon and Brasius. I've stated before I'm a big fan of enemies coming together and this followed along that path. Great story with a great ending!
August 23, 2011
It's difficult to write something about this one! Well, I would not recommend it, for starters.
I was somehow expecting something more private, a slow seduction where submission is something beautiful, turning into love in the end. Instead we begin with a flat out rape, followed by pages of humiliation and pain. May that be someone else's cup of tea - to me it at so many times just felt unnecessary and just bothering, rather than means to reach the end. Sure, there is some tenderness peaking out here and there, but not enough. You don't care about someone if you force them to sleep naked on the floor! They're naked during the whole book, for that matter.
The book is very well written, and I read the whole thing in one sitting - it's good enough that you want to know what'll happen (hence the two stars). Too bad that I in the end feel icky and want those hours back to spend on some other novel!
I was somehow expecting something more private, a slow seduction where submission is something beautiful, turning into love in the end. Instead we begin with a flat out rape, followed by pages of humiliation and pain. May that be someone else's cup of tea - to me it at so many times just felt unnecessary and just bothering, rather than means to reach the end. Sure, there is some tenderness peaking out here and there, but not enough. You don't care about someone if you force them to sleep naked on the floor! They're naked during the whole book, for that matter.
The book is very well written, and I read the whole thing in one sitting - it's good enough that you want to know what'll happen (hence the two stars). Too bad that I in the end feel icky and want those hours back to spend on some other novel!
January 8, 2015
Love the eroticism in this book. The exquisite humiliation/degradation is maxing out the angst meter for me. Yum! just the way I like it.
I like the storyline and the pace. The pet play is my favorite part too.
I like the storyline and the pace. The pet play is my favorite part too.
December 26, 2014
I'm not entirely certain what to think of this. In many ways, it reminds me of What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love, but with flashes of Blind Space thrown in, especially since . At the same time, though, I have a hard time balancing out the fact that he expected Kynon to go through all the training and stuff but still come out "intact."
It actually kind of reminds me of that saying that has a million different variations, about how the higher up they go, the farther they have to fall. In many ways, Kynon's mentality makes a lot of sense and Brasius is a stupid fuck for expecting otherwise.
Actually, the entire country of whatever the hell Brasius and Rennick and Hera are from annoy me. In many ways, it reminds me of America (before you start protesting, I'd like to mention that I am American). It's all self-righteous and just because it does things differently than other countries do, it fancies itself more moral and more just. The whole "you represent your country and you shame you country" thing Hera was telling Kynon about annoyed me. It's that whole ethnocentrism thing. "We're the only ones who matter, so you should care what we think of you." Yeah, they're so awesome cuz they have a Senate and did away with the hereditary nobility thing *rolls eyes.
Anyways, back to the story. Brasius annoys me. His ideas/ideals are stupidly contradictory. He does something all tender and "I want you for you" and then he goes and does something to jack-hammer into Kynon's mind that all he is is a tribute to be used at his master's leisure. So much stupid posturing in the presence of others.
Actually, I think Brasius is extremely insecure. He's got that "fuck the world" attitude, but he also seems to conform very closely to what his peers do.
I actually think, weirdly enough, Hera was the most real character out of all of them. For some reason, the rest of 'em just felt contrived. Oh, Kynon had his moments, but then something would happen that fit the ideal development but didn't really make sense development-wise.
Overall, there's too much of the whole "well, it could have been worse" mentality for my liking for it to be a genuine romance. That's like saying, "well, my husband only hits me when he's drunk as opposed to hitting me all the time, so he treats me well." I get the whole idea of making the best out of a bad situation, but for me, that's not basis for romance. It rings of codependency and dysfunctionality, which is weird because I'd be the first to say that society is overrated.
And for some reason, people really like that horse analogy when dealing with slaves... (is that cuz horses are also enslaved? Makes me think of Black Beauty in a whole new light...)
And then, oh, hallelujah.
Actually, all in all, I think it does reach a point where it all works. The Concubine point. The way it was reached was weird and dysfunctional and the end result still has hints of that, but I think all in all, some sort of working equilibrium was reached, a sort of equilibrium that has...potential? Something.
And then it ends with the Healing Power of Sex =_=
Oh, god. And then the end scene. I'd forgotten about the end scene.
Okay, the end sex scene and the final end scene just ruined it for me.
I contemplated giving it a higher rating, but I think I'll keep it at 2. Probably a 2.5, rounded down because I...rather disliked the ending.
It's weird and good/has good points, but the overall thing just didn't work as a romance for me. There are flashes of it, but it still seems Stockholm/codependent to me on Kynon's part, annoying contradictory and self-righteous on Brasius' part, and a fuckload of ethnocentric bullshit from Segasa in general that Kynon's mother ends up catering to. Yeah, maybe I'm a self-righteous little w.e who values true free will too much to just chill and enjoy this book, but I think ultimately, the worst part for me is that in the end, the whole thing is more hypothetical imperative than categorical, yet either attempts to be or pretends to be true categorical imperative and I resent that. The posturing is always the worst part for me.
It actually kind of reminds me of that saying that has a million different variations, about how the higher up they go, the farther they have to fall. In many ways, Kynon's mentality makes a lot of sense and Brasius is a stupid fuck for expecting otherwise.
Actually, the entire country of whatever the hell Brasius and Rennick and Hera are from annoy me. In many ways, it reminds me of America (before you start protesting, I'd like to mention that I am American). It's all self-righteous and just because it does things differently than other countries do, it fancies itself more moral and more just. The whole "you represent your country and you shame you country" thing Hera was telling Kynon about annoyed me. It's that whole ethnocentrism thing. "We're the only ones who matter, so you should care what we think of you." Yeah, they're so awesome cuz they have a Senate and did away with the hereditary nobility thing *rolls eyes.
Anyways, back to the story. Brasius annoys me. His ideas/ideals are stupidly contradictory. He does something all tender and "I want you for you" and then he goes and does something to jack-hammer into Kynon's mind that all he is is a tribute to be used at his master's leisure. So much stupid posturing in the presence of others.
Actually, I think Brasius is extremely insecure. He's got that "fuck the world" attitude, but he also seems to conform very closely to what his peers do.
I actually think, weirdly enough, Hera was the most real character out of all of them. For some reason, the rest of 'em just felt contrived. Oh, Kynon had his moments, but then something would happen that fit the ideal development but didn't really make sense development-wise.
Overall, there's too much of the whole "well, it could have been worse" mentality for my liking for it to be a genuine romance. That's like saying, "well, my husband only hits me when he's drunk as opposed to hitting me all the time, so he treats me well." I get the whole idea of making the best out of a bad situation, but for me, that's not basis for romance. It rings of codependency and dysfunctionality, which is weird because I'd be the first to say that society is overrated.
And for some reason, people really like that horse analogy when dealing with slaves... (is that cuz horses are also enslaved? Makes me think of Black Beauty in a whole new light...)
And then, oh, hallelujah.
Actually, all in all, I think it does reach a point where it all works. The Concubine point. The way it was reached was weird and dysfunctional and the end result still has hints of that, but I think all in all, some sort of working equilibrium was reached, a sort of equilibrium that has...potential? Something.
And then it ends with the Healing Power of Sex =_=
Oh, god. And then the end scene. I'd forgotten about the end scene.
Okay, the end sex scene and the final end scene just ruined it for me.
I contemplated giving it a higher rating, but I think I'll keep it at 2. Probably a 2.5, rounded down because I...rather disliked the ending.
It's weird and good/has good points, but the overall thing just didn't work as a romance for me. There are flashes of it, but it still seems Stockholm/codependent to me on Kynon's part, annoying contradictory and self-righteous on Brasius' part, and a fuckload of ethnocentric bullshit from Segasa in general that Kynon's mother ends up catering to. Yeah, maybe I'm a self-righteous little w.e who values true free will too much to just chill and enjoy this book, but I think ultimately, the worst part for me is that in the end, the whole thing is more hypothetical imperative than categorical, yet either attempts to be or pretends to be true categorical imperative and I resent that. The posturing is always the worst part for me.
December 17, 2012
It seems I'm not the only one who was looking for something like Concubine. Though this book did deliver many aspects that I did enjoy from Concubine, it was different in many ways.
Though I did enjoy this, there was something -and I won't really delve deep into reasoning, musing, trashing and what not- lackluster about the story that didn't quite make it dig as deeply into my heart that Concubine did.
And - I know this sounds stupid since I'm a woman, and heterosexual and all- but the girl/guy sex was such a turn off. I actually cringed at some parts.
I feel unfair for comparing it to another book, but ultimately this was a very very wonderful read.
Though I did enjoy this, there was something -and I won't really delve deep into reasoning, musing, trashing and what not- lackluster about the story that didn't quite make it dig as deeply into my heart that Concubine did.
And - I know this sounds stupid since I'm a woman, and heterosexual and all- but the girl/guy sex was such a turn off. I actually cringed at some parts.
I feel unfair for comparing it to another book, but ultimately this was a very very wonderful read.
Read
December 5, 2012** Review by the author **
So, I'm not actually going to review a book I wrote. Seems kind of pointless, right?
If you read it, I hope you like it.
But if you want to ask me anything about Tribute, here's the place to do it.
So, I'm not actually going to review a book I wrote. Seems kind of pointless, right?
If you read it, I hope you like it.
But if you want to ask me anything about Tribute, here's the place to do it.
February 8, 2016
*** 2.5 Stars ***
Unique and compelling world building and a total mindfuck. Wish there had been fewer lady bits in it, though.
"He didn't know what to think of the monster when he was kind."
Unique and compelling world building and a total mindfuck. Wish there had been fewer lady bits in it, though.
"He didn't know what to think of the monster when he was kind."
June 20, 2024
4.5 🌟
I’m in my smut era (and my minimal effort review era) 🥰 best master-slave story I’ve read yet
I’m in my smut era (and my minimal effort review era) 🥰 best master-slave story I’ve read yet
December 13, 2011
A study into extreme humiliation.
This book splits opinions, because it is different in one aspect. There is a lot of degradation, extreme humiliation and then some.
A lot of reviewers blame this book to be pure porn. Well, it depends upon your definition of porn. Certainly, there is a *lot* of erotic scenes, but not that much more than in your usual MM erotic fiction. The main difference for me is the extreme humiliation. The humiliation is so over the top. It is even illogical at times, but hey, it is a fantasy world, so in my books it is acceptable, and I still won't call it porn. In all fairness, I also got really bad taste, and I still listen to George Michael's Careless Whisper. Just saying.
Then there is this M/F stuff, that I believe is a problem for some negative reviews, but they just won't say it straight. Skip this book if you are not into M/F romance (or if you are insecure about your husband's sexual preference), because while there is just one short M/F sex scene, there is some more on the emotional level, especially in the first part of the book.
Apart from the extreme humiliation, this book is quite ordinary. The world building is typical to slash fic, light and easy, and the plot is predictable and there is a sweet HEA. The characters are a bit thin, but not paper-thin. The writing and the pacing was ok, but nothing exceptional.
So who should read this book? If you are really into humiliation and want to read how to debase another human being, not just physically but mentally as well (like in WW2 Nazi-Germany), this is certainly for you, others may as well skip this.
Humiliation defines this book.
3,5 stars rounded up to 4 (just because I feel some reviewers were not reviewing the writing of the book, but the book theme).
This book splits opinions, because it is different in one aspect. There is a lot of degradation, extreme humiliation and then some.
A lot of reviewers blame this book to be pure porn. Well, it depends upon your definition of porn. Certainly, there is a *lot* of erotic scenes, but not that much more than in your usual MM erotic fiction. The main difference for me is the extreme humiliation. The humiliation is so over the top. It is even illogical at times, but hey, it is a fantasy world, so in my books it is acceptable, and I still won't call it porn. In all fairness, I also got really bad taste, and I still listen to George Michael's Careless Whisper. Just saying.
Then there is this M/F stuff, that I believe is a problem for some negative reviews, but they just won't say it straight. Skip this book if you are not into M/F romance (or if you are insecure about your husband's sexual preference), because while there is just one short M/F sex scene, there is some more on the emotional level, especially in the first part of the book.
Apart from the extreme humiliation, this book is quite ordinary. The world building is typical to slash fic, light and easy, and the plot is predictable and there is a sweet HEA. The characters are a bit thin, but not paper-thin. The writing and the pacing was ok, but nothing exceptional.
So who should read this book? If you are really into humiliation and want to read how to debase another human being, not just physically but mentally as well (like in WW2 Nazi-Germany), this is certainly for you, others may as well skip this.
Humiliation defines this book.
3,5 stars rounded up to 4 (just because I feel some reviewers were not reviewing the writing of the book, but the book theme).
June 3, 2012
There were moments I thought of laying the book aside. I like a good BDSM book from time to time and the story interested me. But this was far to cruel and sometimes even not logical for me.
First - I don't think that rape is acceptable - even if the raped one enjoys it because of drugs. The whole drugging was the second annoying part. Make the tributes with the drugs addicted to sex? Duh..
Why I finished it? Because I liked the MC Kynon even if I hadn't been able to follow his reasoning and some of his development.
Brasius on the other hand...How can such an experienced guy be so clueless? He didn't realize what the "training" did to Kynon? He wasn't able to man up after the beating and taking care of Kynon?
I can't feel the love...really....and the book itself had parts that really were to cruel for me.
Maybe someone else likes it more - I didn't.
While reading this I just realized that I cringed in "The island" about all the cruelty towards Lee (there was rape, too) but this time it made me really uncomfortable. I think it's probably because there were more aspects to it, like the innocence of the young ones, the drugs they were given to be aroused, the whole mind game and the uncomfortabel feeling that all mentioned feelings ware based of a so very wrong foundation.
First - I don't think that rape is acceptable - even if the raped one enjoys it because of drugs. The whole drugging was the second annoying part. Make the tributes with the drugs addicted to sex? Duh..
Why I finished it? Because I liked the MC Kynon even if I hadn't been able to follow his reasoning and some of his development.
Brasius on the other hand...How can such an experienced guy be so clueless? He didn't realize what the "training" did to Kynon? He wasn't able to man up after the beating and taking care of Kynon?
I can't feel the love...really....and the book itself had parts that really were to cruel for me.
Maybe someone else likes it more - I didn't.
While reading this I just realized that I cringed in "The island" about all the cruelty towards Lee (there was rape, too) but this time it made me really uncomfortable. I think it's probably because there were more aspects to it, like the innocence of the young ones, the drugs they were given to be aroused, the whole mind game and the uncomfortabel feeling that all mentioned feelings ware based of a so very wrong foundation.
September 8, 2022
Overall book rating: 2
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
Do I like BDSM. Check
Do I like dark and depraved? Check
Do I like unconventional? Check
Do I like Lisa Henry books? Double Check.
Did I like this one? No
To me it just felt all about sex.
I didn't get that "Oh.. this is so so wrong.. but OH SO DELICHOUS" feeling.
I didn't cheer for Bracius, there were brief moments I actually though
he would get there, win me over. But nope.
Kynon.. well he just .. it all just felt waaaaaay to soon to just
forget yourself. He switched between Prince to slave to
having some pride in what felt to soon for my taste.
I don't in honesty know why Mistress who's her face was
allocated the amount of page time that she got, seeing
as the story was only that long.
To me, it felt off. I didn't get the grow of their relationship.
I wanted (don't shoot me...) Less of the sex and more of the
feelings! More growing more emotions..
I really enjoyed the parts where there was actually
more to the characters. Loved Captain Rennick.
In fact, there was a time I actually hoped Kynon
would rather end up with him.
I think mostly, the author is capable of so much more
that what we got. HAVE YOU READ DARK SPACE PEOPLE?
She is so much more talented and I expected
something I didn't get.
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
Do I like BDSM. Check
Do I like dark and depraved? Check
Do I like unconventional? Check
Do I like Lisa Henry books? Double Check.
Did I like this one? No
To me it just felt all about sex.
I didn't get that "Oh.. this is so so wrong.. but OH SO DELICHOUS" feeling.
I didn't cheer for Bracius, there were brief moments I actually though
he would get there, win me over. But nope.
Kynon.. well he just .. it all just felt waaaaaay to soon to just
forget yourself. He switched between Prince to slave to
having some pride in what felt to soon for my taste.
I don't in honesty know why Mistress who's her face was
allocated the amount of page time that she got, seeing
as the story was only that long.
To me, it felt off. I didn't get the grow of their relationship.
I wanted (don't shoot me...) Less of the sex and more of the
feelings! More growing more emotions..
I really enjoyed the parts where there was actually
more to the characters. Loved Captain Rennick.
In fact, there was a time I actually hoped Kynon
would rather end up with him.
I think mostly, the author is capable of so much more
that what we got. HAVE YOU READ DARK SPACE PEOPLE?
She is so much more talented and I expected
something I didn't get.
November 7, 2011
3.5 stars
Good offering for a non-consensual slave story. A sociological thread of rulership with the basis of a modified Roman model. The world building and description were well done and didn't drag on ad nauseum.
I've read a few along this veins and it is enjoyable if cruel at times. Humiliation, floggings, noncon, and a vicious whipping as well as psychological taunts. At points I couldn't understand why Kynon didn't just take a dive out of the window. The underlying theme of finding happiness with what/where you are--acceptance just doesn't ring for me. There are plenty of lives not worth living, and Kynon's was one. The ending was almost a Disney version after all the lead up. Sure I'm glad there was an HEA, but I didn't see the level of maturation in the relationship between the two protagonists (Kynon and Brasius) to warrant it.
Good offering for a non-consensual slave story. A sociological thread of rulership with the basis of a modified Roman model. The world building and description were well done and didn't drag on ad nauseum.
I've read a few along this veins and it is enjoyable if cruel at times. Humiliation, floggings, noncon, and a vicious whipping as well as psychological taunts. At points I couldn't understand why Kynon didn't just take a dive out of the window. The underlying theme of finding happiness with what/where you are--acceptance just doesn't ring for me. There are plenty of lives not worth living, and Kynon's was one. The ending was almost a Disney version after all the lead up. Sure I'm glad there was an HEA, but I didn't see the level of maturation in the relationship between the two protagonists (Kynon and Brasius) to warrant it.
July 29, 2011
I am puzzled by the negative reviews. This book contains slavery, dubious consent m/m and m/f sex, flogging and humiliation. If that isn't your kind of kink - don't read it. Those who enjoy BDSM novels will find this book an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.
Read
August 18, 2023Not entirely sure what I expected from this, given that it’s Lisa Henry and basically slavefic. She has done interesting things with BDSM and dub-con before so I guess that was my mood, but there is very little nuance, relationship, or indeed interpersonal dynamics in here; it’s mostly just a non-con bangfest all the way through. Not much in the way of worldbuilding, either, as neither the vaguely Roman-inspired society nor the tribute system or the characters’ roles in it are explored in any depth. I’m not rating it since I’d read reviews before and it pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin, i.e. PWP. (Doesn't really fit the romance bracket either, imo, but then a lot of old-school slavefics don't.)
May 30, 2020
Good
3.5 stars
I struggled with how to rate this one.
I like slave type books and this was good in that aspect. I understood and really felt for Kynon as he had so much trouble working out what he was supposed to be doing and he was getting mixed messages. I enjoyed his interactions with a number of the secondary characters.
To be honest the humiliation aspect was the hardest part for me and made me nearly walk away. It worked its way out in the end but I didn’t like that Basius used the humiliation to try and bring out Kynon.
3.5 stars
I struggled with how to rate this one.
I like slave type books and this was good in that aspect. I understood and really felt for Kynon as he had so much trouble working out what he was supposed to be doing and he was getting mixed messages. I enjoyed his interactions with a number of the secondary characters.
To be honest the humiliation aspect was the hardest part for me and made me nearly walk away. It worked its way out in the end but I didn’t like that Basius used the humiliation to try and bring out Kynon.
April 27, 2012
2,5 stars
After reading many reviews to Tribute I expected something much,much worse.
Glossed over non-con galore but the real torment was left for the reader.Listening to Kynon`s - the tribute - endless inner struggles over not knowing what was expected of him were...tiring.
On the other side,some direct questions and equally direct answers and the story would have been over after 50 pages...
After reading many reviews to Tribute I expected something much,much worse.
Glossed over non-con galore but the real torment was left for the reader.Listening to Kynon`s - the tribute - endless inner struggles over not knowing what was expected of him were...tiring.
On the other side,some direct questions and equally direct answers and the story would have been over after 50 pages...
September 24, 2017
That was so damn fantastic that once I finished, I scrolled back to the beginning and read the whole book over. I haven't done that in such a long time and I needed a book like that so bad, I just can't even say.
There was so much going on, so many issues the author was exploring, it almost overwhelmed me and just to soak up even half of it needed two reads. It was absolutely brilliant and I just can't say enough about how I'm feeling right now. Wonderful.
There was so much going on, so many issues the author was exploring, it almost overwhelmed me and just to soak up even half of it needed two reads. It was absolutely brilliant and I just can't say enough about how I'm feeling right now. Wonderful.
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