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A Novel of the Civil War #1
Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War
During the Civil War, two young soldiers on opposite sides find themselves drawn together. One is a war-weary but scholarly Southerner who has seen too much bloodshed, especially the tortures inflicted upon the enemy by his vicious commanding officer, his uncle. The other is a Herculean Yankee captured by the rag-tag Confederate band and forced to become a martyr for all the sins of General Sheridan's fires. When these two find themselves admiring more than one another's spirit and demeanor, when passions erupt between captor and captive, will this new romance survive the arduous trek to Purgatory Mountain?
286 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2012
19 people are currently reading
796 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Mann
105 books89 followersJeff Mann’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many publications, including Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Laurel Review and The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. He has published three award-winning poetry chapbooks, Bliss, Mountain Fireflies, and Flint Shards from Sussex; two full-length books of poetry, Bones Washed with Wine and On the Tongue; a collection of personal essays, Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear; a book of poetry and memoir, Loving Mountains, Loving Men; and a short fiction volume, A History of Barbed Wire, which won a Lambda Literary Award. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
June 21, 2017
Audible
ONE OF THE BEST HISTORICAL ROMANCE I'VE EVER READ!
I don't want to write a long review. No, not because this book didn't deserve it. Totally the opposite.
I LOVE EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.
Jeff Mann is an amazing writer. His writing and I are compatible. Even more than this. His writing makes my body react. His writing makes my soul and damn what ever REACT.
I LOVE EVERY SINGLE LINE IN THIS BOOK.
A heartbreaking, emotional moving LOVE STORY, enemies-to-lovers.
But it is so much more that just this.
I cried. I CRIED.
I can't say I know a lot about the Civil War, but as an European I had always a concrete idea that Federals were good guys and Southern were bad ones. I don't need to explain you WHY. Yes, I read Gone with the Wind, but still. This book completely turned my idea upside down. There were NO good guys and bad guys. There was POLICY, and ideas, and many young men who wanted just peace for their families and their county. Who wanted to be patriotic, because they wanted to protect people they loved. And what if a one you love doesn't belong to your PEOPLE? But who are these YOURS and THEIRS?
This book, OF COURSE, is in the first place a ROMANCE, a LOVE STORY.
A love story between a young solder of the Confederacy and a captured solder of the Union. But it is FABULOUS, FASCINATING and moving how the author managed to write about all the senselessness and STUPIDNESS of war while actually telling the story of Ian and Drew. War itself is the worst what can happen to a generation of young men. Civil wars are the worst kind of it. Brothers against brothers.
And I admire how the author MADE readers to FEEL it.
It is not an easy read, but OMG, that is one of the best book I read this year, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
READ IT.
To the next book! I can't have enough of these guys! I WANT THEM HAPPY TOGETHER, they deserve it. Me too.
December 21, 2012
I’ll give you a fair warning before you start reading this review : I went all emo on this book!
Purgatory is a heavy, slow-paced read, invested by an allegory (yeah, I’m showing off) where Christian martyrdom is shoved back in bigots’ faces and where nature and eroticism only bring poetry.
It’s about coming out of anonymity and becoming a human being again, about growing up, about finding balance and harmony and companionship in one’s desires. It’s about being a soldier, being a man, being gay, being in love and in a BDSM relationship. It’s about war. It’s about the South.
Ian is a young soldier in the Confederate army. He shares his Cherokee ancestors’ beliefs, daydreams about mythical heros and finds solace to his loneliness in poetry.
Drew is a Yankee, a blond giant, a simple farm boy, as scared, exhausted and starved as Ian. He is captured by the small Confederate troop and kept as an outlet, meant to be tortured and punished during their march towards Purgatory Mountain. Ian is appointed his jailor and healer.
"Then his blue glare falls on me and fixes. I hold him with my eyes, he holds me with his, even after he reaches his breaking point and that brave silence is replaced by deep rag-muffled shouts that soon climb higher into screams, then dip down into sobs."
It is the meeting of two bouts of loneliness, two hungers who form a partnership which goal is to help Drew take it all to the end and survive. When their hurt/comfort bond evolves, it’s about feeling strong and feeling small, feeling in control and feeling protected and being whole.
Jeff Mann will throw you in the mud, make you shiver in the cold and the rain, he will twist your guts with fear, horror and pity and he will soothe you with spring, blossoming trees and stolen moments. His voice is brutal and gritty, caressing and rocking.
Purgatory is not flawless. The tight knot loosened in the very last part and one thing or two that worked totally until then bugged me.
Still, it left me with a book that I loved beyond reason and I’m still wondering if I was high on something or what!
There is still so much to tell but I’ll shut it now because all my babbling could be summed up in one only sentence:
”I can’t say why I find beauty where I do, but I guess I’d better be thankful that there’s any beauty left”.
Purgatory is a heavy, slow-paced read, invested by an allegory (yeah, I’m showing off) where Christian martyrdom is shoved back in bigots’ faces and where nature and eroticism only bring poetry.
It’s about coming out of anonymity and becoming a human being again, about growing up, about finding balance and harmony and companionship in one’s desires. It’s about being a soldier, being a man, being gay, being in love and in a BDSM relationship. It’s about war. It’s about the South.
Ian is a young soldier in the Confederate army. He shares his Cherokee ancestors’ beliefs, daydreams about mythical heros and finds solace to his loneliness in poetry.
Drew is a Yankee, a blond giant, a simple farm boy, as scared, exhausted and starved as Ian. He is captured by the small Confederate troop and kept as an outlet, meant to be tortured and punished during their march towards Purgatory Mountain. Ian is appointed his jailor and healer.
"Then his blue glare falls on me and fixes. I hold him with my eyes, he holds me with his, even after he reaches his breaking point and that brave silence is replaced by deep rag-muffled shouts that soon climb higher into screams, then dip down into sobs."
It is the meeting of two bouts of loneliness, two hungers who form a partnership which goal is to help Drew take it all to the end and survive. When their hurt/comfort bond evolves, it’s about feeling strong and feeling small, feeling in control and feeling protected and being whole.
Jeff Mann will throw you in the mud, make you shiver in the cold and the rain, he will twist your guts with fear, horror and pity and he will soothe you with spring, blossoming trees and stolen moments. His voice is brutal and gritty, caressing and rocking.
Purgatory is not flawless. The tight knot loosened in the very last part and one thing or two that worked totally until then bugged me.
Still, it left me with a book that I loved beyond reason and I’m still wondering if I was high on something or what!
There is still so much to tell but I’ll shut it now because all my babbling could be summed up in one only sentence:
”I can’t say why I find beauty where I do, but I guess I’d better be thankful that there’s any beauty left”.
March 14, 2017
Hermoso, desgarrador, triste, muy emotivo. Mucho amor. Muy bueno.
Es difícil escribir una review del libro y es muy difícil recomendárselo a alguien. Desde luego, es romántico, pero el marco en el que se desarrolla la historia es tan duro, la guerra, que resulta a veces complicado seguir leyendo sobre la violencia y la deshumanización del ser humano bajo determinadas circunstancias. Aunque, ni estas circunstancias son excusa porque tal y como refleja el autor, por mucho que a veces nos deshumanicen, esa extrema violencia y ese odio solo surge si ya tienes esa semilla en ti.
Es una historia de amor tierna, bonita y muy triste al mismo tiempo. En su deseo de transmitir realidad el libro exuda violencia y suciedad, y de ahí surge la flor que son Ian y Drew. Sé que está catalogado como novela erótica, y aunque es cierto que tiene un componente BDSM y algunas escenas yo no la calificaría de tal. En todo caso, las escenas de sexo tienen un contenido emocional muy intenso, más que erótico. La relación es compleja por cómo nace, aunque no existe la violencia entre ellos, es compleja por cómo se desarrolla, y es compleja por sus protagonistas. Tanto Drew como Ian están muy bien perfilados, pero es Ian el que me ha planteado más cuestiones, sobre su deseo, su moral..., cuestiones a las que supongo cada uno de nosotros tenemos una respuesta personal distinta. Pero, aunque a veces me haya resultado conflictivo y perturbador, lo que está claro a lo largo de todas las páginas, es su amor. Y esto, al fin y al cabo es eso, una historia de amor.
Me ha parecido un libro excelente, pero entiendo perfectamente que otros lo puedan odiar. Por mi parte, no tardaré en leer la segunda parte.
Es difícil escribir una review del libro y es muy difícil recomendárselo a alguien. Desde luego, es romántico, pero el marco en el que se desarrolla la historia es tan duro, la guerra, que resulta a veces complicado seguir leyendo sobre la violencia y la deshumanización del ser humano bajo determinadas circunstancias. Aunque, ni estas circunstancias son excusa porque tal y como refleja el autor, por mucho que a veces nos deshumanicen, esa extrema violencia y ese odio solo surge si ya tienes esa semilla en ti.
Es una historia de amor tierna, bonita y muy triste al mismo tiempo. En su deseo de transmitir realidad el libro exuda violencia y suciedad, y de ahí surge la flor que son Ian y Drew. Sé que está catalogado como novela erótica, y aunque es cierto que tiene un componente BDSM y algunas escenas yo no la calificaría de tal. En todo caso, las escenas de sexo tienen un contenido emocional muy intenso, más que erótico. La relación es compleja por cómo nace, aunque no existe la violencia entre ellos, es compleja por cómo se desarrolla, y es compleja por sus protagonistas. Tanto Drew como Ian están muy bien perfilados, pero es Ian el que me ha planteado más cuestiones, sobre su deseo, su moral..., cuestiones a las que supongo cada uno de nosotros tenemos una respuesta personal distinta. Pero, aunque a veces me haya resultado conflictivo y perturbador, lo que está claro a lo largo de todas las páginas, es su amor. Y esto, al fin y al cabo es eso, una historia de amor.
Me ha parecido un libro excelente, pero entiendo perfectamente que otros lo puedan odiar. Por mi parte, no tardaré en leer la segunda parte.
March 6, 2017
I can't shout loud enough about how good this book is !! Not an easy read, it captures the cruelty of people in war, though people are cruel bastards any time. It explores the contradictions and conflicts of love , and attraction. ' Sodomites'. What awful word that is, makes me shudder from the tip of my toe nail to the angry curl on my head. But I know, it's a word still used to belittle and turn us into animals even now. Hah, now I'm thinking of stalagmites and stalagtites. And caves. Anyway.
I think there is excellent exploration of power, and control.
And the love !!! Oh my god.
A verrry well written book. I don't know much about this author. I believe I started another of his books once but could not cope with the subject matter.
Fab !!!!
I think there is excellent exploration of power, and control.
And the love !!! Oh my god.
A verrry well written book. I don't know much about this author. I believe I started another of his books once but could not cope with the subject matter.
Fab !!!!
March 13, 2017
4,5 ☆
Aviso a navegantes, este no es un libro para todo el mundo, lo que nos encontramos en las páginas de Purgatory hará las tipas de más de uno retorcerse, pero también el corazón, luego no digáis que no os advertí ;)
Una historia ambientada en una guerra, si está bien hecha, nunca es fácil de leer. Hace ya mucho que vi este libro por GR y no me decidía a empezarlo precisamente por eso, no sabía si tenía ganas de sufrir, así que cuando vi que Elsa (hola, y gracias, guapa ;)) lo marcó como TBR me dije que era mi oportunidad de que alguien me cogiera la mano en los momentos duros, y no me equivoqué, la mano virtual era necesaria, pero más necesario ha sido conversar sobre los personajes y sobre el ser humano.
¿Nos transforma en peores personas la guerra, la violencia, el hambre? Sí y no, en Purgatory se ve claramente, hay personajes que son auténtica escoria, pero no os engañéis, ya lo eran antes, las circunstancias son lo que les sirve de excusa para dar rienda suelta a su maldad. Luego están los otros, los que son capaces de ver al enemigo como un ser humano y no un excremento. Esta dualidad en las actitudes de los personajes no es sólo en blanco o negro, hay muchos tonos de gris por en medio, y un gran ejemplo lo tenemos en uno de los MC, Ian, que quizás es el que es más complejo de entender porque de partida Drew ya se nos presenta como "víctima".
La historia de amor que nos muestra es quizás muy insta, pero está bien resuelto, en esos tiempos no creo que te pudieras platear tu vida mucho más allá de la próxima hora, y es gracias a las emociones que sienten Ian y Drew dónde encontramos un remanso de paz entre tanta violencia, su relación es muy cruda, difícil, rezuma testosterona pero a la vez sabe a victoria.
No redondeo a 5 más que nada por las referencias al BDSM, creo que no era necesario para lo que Mann nos quería contar, aunque gracias a eso hay una escena preciosa al final de libro, una escena que hizo mi corazoncito latir con fuerza, ayyyyy
Deseando poner las zarpas en el#2
Elsa, nos vemos en el siguiente ^^ Y ya sabes, dónde hay pelo, hay alegría xDDDDD
Aviso a navegantes, este no es un libro para todo el mundo, lo que nos encontramos en las páginas de Purgatory hará las tipas de más de uno retorcerse, pero también el corazón, luego no digáis que no os advertí ;)
Una historia ambientada en una guerra, si está bien hecha, nunca es fácil de leer. Hace ya mucho que vi este libro por GR y no me decidía a empezarlo precisamente por eso, no sabía si tenía ganas de sufrir, así que cuando vi que Elsa (hola, y gracias, guapa ;)) lo marcó como TBR me dije que era mi oportunidad de que alguien me cogiera la mano en los momentos duros, y no me equivoqué, la mano virtual era necesaria, pero más necesario ha sido conversar sobre los personajes y sobre el ser humano.
¿Nos transforma en peores personas la guerra, la violencia, el hambre? Sí y no, en Purgatory se ve claramente, hay personajes que son auténtica escoria, pero no os engañéis, ya lo eran antes, las circunstancias son lo que les sirve de excusa para dar rienda suelta a su maldad. Luego están los otros, los que son capaces de ver al enemigo como un ser humano y no un excremento. Esta dualidad en las actitudes de los personajes no es sólo en blanco o negro, hay muchos tonos de gris por en medio, y un gran ejemplo lo tenemos en uno de los MC, Ian, que quizás es el que es más complejo de entender porque de partida Drew ya se nos presenta como "víctima".
La historia de amor que nos muestra es quizás muy insta, pero está bien resuelto, en esos tiempos no creo que te pudieras platear tu vida mucho más allá de la próxima hora, y es gracias a las emociones que sienten Ian y Drew dónde encontramos un remanso de paz entre tanta violencia, su relación es muy cruda, difícil, rezuma testosterona pero a la vez sabe a victoria.
No redondeo a 5 más que nada por las referencias al BDSM, creo que no era necesario para lo que Mann nos quería contar, aunque gracias a eso hay una escena preciosa al final de libro, una escena que hizo mi corazoncito latir con fuerza, ayyyyy
Deseando poner las zarpas en el#2
Elsa, nos vemos en el siguiente ^^ Y ya sabes, dónde hay pelo, hay alegría xDDDDD
November 12, 2017
I don't feel like writing a huge review for this one, but as a reader, every once in a while, I come across a book which shocks me completely, shatters my world, makes me wonder the variations of human nature and may even change me in a way. To me,"Purgatory" is one such book. This is a kind of book which not only did I feel completely taken from the very first page with the war-related intensive plot, but also with Ian's, the narrator, fundamental sense of compassion, who may have existed but never appeared on any page before. His pleasure at witnessing his captive's torment and the whole BDSM sexplay went a long way toward making sense to me. On the other hand and outside this, his personality and especially his sensitivity to classical literary works such as the Iliad’s lovers Achilles and Patroclus, the poetry of Walt Whitman and Shakespeare, was our adorable insta-love .
All in all, this was a spectacular adventure-romance, written with real style, researched and edited perfectly. Mr. Mann brings both his characters and the time to life.
Provocative, thoughtful, offbeat, devastating, often torturous yet beautiful in prose and the final message.
“Do you think anyone will remember us? Will imagine us?”
“Our families and friends will always remember us, even if we…even if we don’t make it home.“
“No, I mean the men who come. Who will come to be born. Men like us. Men who, well, touch one another like you and I touch. Like in the Whitman poems you read me. Like in The Iliad. It’s a comfort thinking that they are there, somewhere. That they might be there, long after we’re gone, there thinking of us. Looking back for us. From some more fortunate place.”
I eagerly look forward to more of their journey!
All in all, this was a spectacular adventure-romance, written with real style, researched and edited perfectly. Mr. Mann brings both his characters and the time to life.
Provocative, thoughtful, offbeat, devastating, often torturous yet beautiful in prose and the final message.
“Do you think anyone will remember us? Will imagine us?”
“Our families and friends will always remember us, even if we…even if we don’t make it home.“
“No, I mean the men who come. Who will come to be born. Men like us. Men who, well, touch one another like you and I touch. Like in the Whitman poems you read me. Like in The Iliad. It’s a comfort thinking that they are there, somewhere. That they might be there, long after we’re gone, there thinking of us. Looking back for us. From some more fortunate place.”
I eagerly look forward to more of their journey!
July 15, 2012
Fascinating. The sense of time and place is immaculate and the level of research gone into this novel is obviously extensive. Light readers should be forewarned that this book contains plenty of torture scenes as one of the MC's is a prisoner of war, but it still builds into a wonderful love story with an HEA that is begging for a sequel, even if the love itself seems a bit quick to happen.
March 11, 2012
I finished Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Mann. Yes, I read this book yesterday (the Kindle edition. I'm still waiting for the print edition to arrive so I can pet the gorgeous cover, but couldn't wait to read it), and it was worth it.
The other novellas that I read during the week were also by Jeff Mann. I re-read some the short stories from his Lambda Award winning collection A History of Barbed Wire, and read his novella "Camp Allegheny" from the anthology History's Passions edited by Richard Labonte which I've had ever since it released back in November 2011. Reading both the novella and re-reading some of the short stories served as a refresher in Mann's style before reading his latest release, Purgatory.
Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War (Bear Bones Books, 2012) turned out to be terrific blend of historical fiction and BDSM erotic romance. Jeff Mann has studied American Civil War history -- I think he eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with some of that excellent Southern cooking he loves -- and in Purgatory the reader can smell and taste war, as well as the hatred, desperation, hunger, and even the ambivalence that the soldiers in this story experience in camp or on the run as they march toward Purgatory Mountain.
I love that aspect of Mann's writing, just as I absolutely appreciate the fact that he is the one author that can really make me understand why his characters need to be part of the gay BDSM bear sub-culture. He is part of this community, and his own passion and understanding for it comes forth clearly and powerfully through the pages of this novel, as well as to all his previous works. I love the unabashed passion he conveys for both the gay bear sub-culture and for his Southern roots.
But coming back to Purgatory, Mann blends aspects of BDSM seamlessly in this novel. I wondered how he would approach it in a realistic way because of the historical setting and was not disappointed. Instead of forcing the issue, Mann beautifully uses the historical setting as a platform to develop this aspect of the story. He does a terrific job of separating and showing the reader the differences between torture and the passionate, erotic, and loving aspects of BDSM. I was particularly taken with his rendering of the captive's character. Understanding his motivations as the submissive in this story is key and Mann makes certain this is unquestionably clear to the reader. Kudos all around.
Besides the highly recommended Purgatory, and the other stories I mention above, if you're interested in reading and understanding a bit more about Jeff Mann and his writings, I strongly recommend that you also read Binding the God: Ursine Essays from the Mountain South.
ETA: If you are squeamish, this book is not for you.
Grade: A-
The other novellas that I read during the week were also by Jeff Mann. I re-read some the short stories from his Lambda Award winning collection A History of Barbed Wire, and read his novella "Camp Allegheny" from the anthology History's Passions edited by Richard Labonte which I've had ever since it released back in November 2011. Reading both the novella and re-reading some of the short stories served as a refresher in Mann's style before reading his latest release, Purgatory.
Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War (Bear Bones Books, 2012) turned out to be terrific blend of historical fiction and BDSM erotic romance. Jeff Mann has studied American Civil War history -- I think he eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with some of that excellent Southern cooking he loves -- and in Purgatory the reader can smell and taste war, as well as the hatred, desperation, hunger, and even the ambivalence that the soldiers in this story experience in camp or on the run as they march toward Purgatory Mountain.
I love that aspect of Mann's writing, just as I absolutely appreciate the fact that he is the one author that can really make me understand why his characters need to be part of the gay BDSM bear sub-culture. He is part of this community, and his own passion and understanding for it comes forth clearly and powerfully through the pages of this novel, as well as to all his previous works. I love the unabashed passion he conveys for both the gay bear sub-culture and for his Southern roots.
But coming back to Purgatory, Mann blends aspects of BDSM seamlessly in this novel. I wondered how he would approach it in a realistic way because of the historical setting and was not disappointed. Instead of forcing the issue, Mann beautifully uses the historical setting as a platform to develop this aspect of the story. He does a terrific job of separating and showing the reader the differences between torture and the passionate, erotic, and loving aspects of BDSM. I was particularly taken with his rendering of the captive's character. Understanding his motivations as the submissive in this story is key and Mann makes certain this is unquestionably clear to the reader. Kudos all around.
Besides the highly recommended Purgatory, and the other stories I mention above, if you're interested in reading and understanding a bit more about Jeff Mann and his writings, I strongly recommend that you also read Binding the God: Ursine Essays from the Mountain South.
ETA: If you are squeamish, this book is not for you.
Grade: A-
February 1, 2015
Uh-huh. Do you know that moment when, innocently searching for something on YouTube, you find yourself in freaky territory? Home surgery? No? You're lucky. I felt a bit like that last night when I settled down for what I thought was going to be a Brokeback Mountain of the Civil War. Even the cover makes it looks like a ... proper novel, doesn't it? No. It's freaky territory. WTF? This book is seriously weird and disturbing. At first I thought it reminded me of bad fan fiction. There's no real plot, just a contrived situation to bring two men together. All well and good, but unlike fan fiction, this is bought and paid for, and I want a little more than that for my money. Is there a market for torture/hurt/comfort porn you have to pay for? I guess, sadly, there is. Did I say this book was seriously weird?
Where do I start. Oh, yes, the body hair. Seriously? Okay, I'm a gym bunny. I hate body hair. But even if I did tolerate it in a novel, I don't want endless descriptions of it full of f****** lice! Yes, I'm all for historical authenticity, but this was just gratuitous, thrown in to keep up the pretence that this was a real novel.
And then we have the contrived situation. One of the guys (Ian) is in the Confederate army. His uncle (his captain, called Sarge for some unknown reason), likes to take hunky, blond, good-looking Yankie soldiers captive and torture them for a few days until they die. Ian helps him, alternately taking part in the torture or comforting them afterwards. One day Sarge brings a new soldier into the camp and...
Seriously? Do I really need to repeat this rubbish?
Safe to say I'm pissed with myself for buying this, for not reading more reviews (I hate spoilers!). There's plenty of brilliant fan fiction out there for free--torture, hurt, comfort and everything in between. I suggest you seek it out and give this a miss (unless, of course, you're into dialect-heavy chat about lice and thick chest hair).
Afterword...huh, even if I'd read the reviews before buying it, I wouldn't have been pre-warned because I'm in a minority apparently. Most everyone else seems to have loved it. So don't listen to me. It's a great book with a touching love story!
Where do I start. Oh, yes, the body hair. Seriously? Okay, I'm a gym bunny. I hate body hair. But even if I did tolerate it in a novel, I don't want endless descriptions of it full of f****** lice! Yes, I'm all for historical authenticity, but this was just gratuitous, thrown in to keep up the pretence that this was a real novel.
And then we have the contrived situation. One of the guys (Ian) is in the Confederate army. His uncle (his captain, called Sarge for some unknown reason), likes to take hunky, blond, good-looking Yankie soldiers captive and torture them for a few days until they die. Ian helps him, alternately taking part in the torture or comforting them afterwards. One day Sarge brings a new soldier into the camp and...
Seriously? Do I really need to repeat this rubbish?
Safe to say I'm pissed with myself for buying this, for not reading more reviews (I hate spoilers!). There's plenty of brilliant fan fiction out there for free--torture, hurt, comfort and everything in between. I suggest you seek it out and give this a miss (unless, of course, you're into dialect-heavy chat about lice and thick chest hair).
Afterword...huh, even if I'd read the reviews before buying it, I wouldn't have been pre-warned because I'm in a minority apparently. Most everyone else seems to have loved it. So don't listen to me. It's a great book with a touching love story!
August 6, 2014
I would sacrifice the South for him. I would sacrifice the world
I don't know much about Jeff Mann. I do know that I have read two novels by him in the past week, and they have both left me wanting more. His writing is gritty, downright disgusting at times, yet so beautiful it makes me cry. It is real. That's what it is. It all feels so real.
Purgatory is the story of two young men who are so deep into the Civil War they wouldn't recognize the men they started out as if they saw them in a mirror. They are starved, wounded and beaten not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Ian is the Rebel who, though small in stature, is a hellcat when it comes to fighting. He leans more to being a sensitive and intellectual type, but this is not to be his way in life. He signed up for a war he truly believed in, but ends up willing to sacrifice it all for a chance at something more. He takes care of the Yankee prisoner Drew and, realizing what a kind man he is, begins to fall in love with him. He becomes aware that he has been sent a miracle in the midst of an awful war, and decides that saving him is worth any risk or consequence. And, unfortunately, he also learns that love and honor can't always coexist.
There are bad guys in this book. To me they didn't matter. There will always be people who are willing to do any manner of lowly thing to another human being in the name of God, or country, or whatever other misguided sense of loyalty they fuel their hatred with. And there are good guys as well. Those who are willing to rise above the others and stand on the side of right. This was nice to see. To me, though, the essence of the story is the trust that builds between a Yank and a Reb. A trust that allows Ian to utter the ultimate sacrifice at the end: "One grave'll do for both of us." A trust that with a little luck will get to last for many years to come.
I don't know much about Jeff Mann. I do know that I have read two novels by him in the past week, and they have both left me wanting more. His writing is gritty, downright disgusting at times, yet so beautiful it makes me cry. It is real. That's what it is. It all feels so real.
Purgatory is the story of two young men who are so deep into the Civil War they wouldn't recognize the men they started out as if they saw them in a mirror. They are starved, wounded and beaten not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Ian is the Rebel who, though small in stature, is a hellcat when it comes to fighting. He leans more to being a sensitive and intellectual type, but this is not to be his way in life. He signed up for a war he truly believed in, but ends up willing to sacrifice it all for a chance at something more. He takes care of the Yankee prisoner Drew and, realizing what a kind man he is, begins to fall in love with him. He becomes aware that he has been sent a miracle in the midst of an awful war, and decides that saving him is worth any risk or consequence. And, unfortunately, he also learns that love and honor can't always coexist.
There are bad guys in this book. To me they didn't matter. There will always be people who are willing to do any manner of lowly thing to another human being in the name of God, or country, or whatever other misguided sense of loyalty they fuel their hatred with. And there are good guys as well. Those who are willing to rise above the others and stand on the side of right. This was nice to see. To me, though, the essence of the story is the trust that builds between a Yank and a Reb. A trust that allows Ian to utter the ultimate sacrifice at the end: "One grave'll do for both of us." A trust that with a little luck will get to last for many years to come.
June 21, 2017
Audible
I don't need to add more to my review, except that I REALLY ENJOYED the narrating voice of Mikael Naramore.
It's how I imagine a southerner would sound.
I started this book as an audio book, and was immediately attracted to his voice. I switched later to an e-book version only because I wanted to read every free minute: during the lunch pauses at work, while watching TV or while pretending to take part in a conversation.
Good that I have my workout hours and could listen to this book to the end IN PIECE.
I love this book.
March 10, 2016
Sorry Lena, this was just ok for me. The author a good job of capturing the hardship of the setting and it seemed historically accurate. The characters were reasonably well formed. My issue was with the story arc, it didn't seem to arc as much as waffle between an endless hurt/comfort cycle.
February 12, 2016
*3.5*
This is the second book by this author I've read, and again, the descriptions were great. The descriptions of the scenery, the food, the everyday life, the weather and the people are so well done.
What especially got me crawling all over while reading where the descriptions of lice and fleas, something that was probably was common under those dire circumstances, and how the soldiers handled it (well, of course they had lice races, making bets and so on).
I love a book where I can totally immerse myself in the environment...
The story is told in 1st person, present tense, and it took me a while to get into it, since this is not my preferred narration style. It fitted the parts which were very intense, but at other locations, I would rather have had past tense.
This story is about a lot more than budding love. It was interesting the way the author showed the different sides of the war, and soldiers’ reasons for joining up.
Ian and Drew get to know each other slowly, partly by discussing such things:
”I ain’t fighting this war for them! I’m fighting it to keep this country together!’
‘And I’m not fighting it for them either. Like I said, my people don’t have slaves. I’m fighting it to keep you damned invaders out and to keep our liberties!’”
These talks between two men, forced by circumstances to be enemies, were very moving to read. It lifts out the fact that they are fellow countrymen fighting against each other, and that they are more similar than different, once the costumes are removed.
The growing relationship between them, although slow-building, was also very well described. The growing friendship /romance was a bit hard to define.
The sexual tension between Ian and Drew was great! Yes, it might not have been the most hygienic of times, but for some reason, this author makes it beautiful (and hot!) instead of disgusting.
There were even times when Ian needs to help Drew to the latrine. Even though Drew feels ashamed, Ian is not, and tries to comfort Drew. Doing this in front of each other is kind of the ultimate intimacy, and I liked that the author included it.
There is a lot of cruel torture in this one. Since this is what is the basis for their relationship, it’s “justified”. I just felt that some of it was a bit over-long and repetitive.
The torture scenes were many times similar, and I would have liked the story a bit “tighter”.
Another thing I like is that the author does not have the traditional muscular big hero as the “strong” one. Drew is a sensitive, scared man who cries a lot and show his weaknesses, whereas Ian is physically weaker, but in the position of power and experience.
I think the ending was very fitting to the story.
This is the second book by this author I've read, and again, the descriptions were great. The descriptions of the scenery, the food, the everyday life, the weather and the people are so well done.
What especially got me crawling all over while reading where the descriptions of lice and fleas, something that was probably was common under those dire circumstances, and how the soldiers handled it (well, of course they had lice races, making bets and so on).
I love a book where I can totally immerse myself in the environment...
The story is told in 1st person, present tense, and it took me a while to get into it, since this is not my preferred narration style. It fitted the parts which were very intense, but at other locations, I would rather have had past tense.
This story is about a lot more than budding love. It was interesting the way the author showed the different sides of the war, and soldiers’ reasons for joining up.
Ian and Drew get to know each other slowly, partly by discussing such things:
”I ain’t fighting this war for them! I’m fighting it to keep this country together!’
‘And I’m not fighting it for them either. Like I said, my people don’t have slaves. I’m fighting it to keep you damned invaders out and to keep our liberties!’”
These talks between two men, forced by circumstances to be enemies, were very moving to read. It lifts out the fact that they are fellow countrymen fighting against each other, and that they are more similar than different, once the costumes are removed.
The growing relationship between them, although slow-building, was also very well described. The growing friendship /romance was a bit hard to define.
The sexual tension between Ian and Drew was great! Yes, it might not have been the most hygienic of times, but for some reason, this author makes it beautiful (and hot!) instead of disgusting.
There were even times when Ian needs to help Drew to the latrine. Even though Drew feels ashamed, Ian is not, and tries to comfort Drew. Doing this in front of each other is kind of the ultimate intimacy, and I liked that the author included it.
There is a lot of cruel torture in this one. Since this is what is the basis for their relationship, it’s “justified”. I just felt that some of it was a bit over-long and repetitive.
The torture scenes were many times similar, and I would have liked the story a bit “tighter”.
Another thing I like is that the author does not have the traditional muscular big hero as the “strong” one. Drew is a sensitive, scared man who cries a lot and show his weaknesses, whereas Ian is physically weaker, but in the position of power and experience.
I think the ending was very fitting to the story.
Read
October 8, 2015DNF at 45%
This book was not for me AT. ALL!
First, I would like to say that I really did not care for the "obsession" the MC (author?) had for hair.
Let me tell you something: I'm reading m/m books for about 3 years, and I learned that some of the amazing characters I read about, are, how should I put it... Love things, and/or smells, that I don't find highly hum... Tempting??
I definitely learned to appreciate smells "musky" "soapy with undertone of sweaty" etc'...
I'm not gaping in shock when the MCs are into rimming without having a shower 2.5 sec (max) prior to the action...
But here? I felt like 5 senses are way too much for me to have while reading it!!
I'll just let you understand by throwing in some words:
-lots of hair
-no showers for very long periods
-lice
-urine, And more...
I know this will irritate some readers, because, well, how dare I judge a world I'm not REALLY a part of (I'm not a gay man if you didn't know) Well...
Let me reassure you: this is NOT the only reason I did not finish the book!
The characters had no depth to them, I did not connect to them at all
I didn't really see a plot (the fact that it was during the civil war had no real significant, apart from one being from the south and the other from the north)
It was very repetitive (at least up to where I stopped)
And, for me- boring :(
I'm in a very very minority here, plus- I read it after I finished one of the best books I read lately, so take that into consideration.
This book was not for me AT. ALL!
First, I would like to say that I really did not care for the "obsession" the MC (author?) had for hair.
Let me tell you something: I'm reading m/m books for about 3 years, and I learned that some of the amazing characters I read about, are, how should I put it... Love things, and/or smells, that I don't find highly hum... Tempting??
I definitely learned to appreciate smells "musky" "soapy with undertone of sweaty" etc'...
I'm not gaping in shock when the MCs are into rimming without having a shower 2.5 sec (max) prior to the action...
But here? I felt like 5 senses are way too much for me to have while reading it!!
I'll just let you understand by throwing in some words:
-lots of hair
-no showers for very long periods
-lice
-urine, And more...
I know this will irritate some readers, because, well, how dare I judge a world I'm not REALLY a part of (I'm not a gay man if you didn't know) Well...
Let me reassure you: this is NOT the only reason I did not finish the book!
The characters had no depth to them, I did not connect to them at all
I didn't really see a plot (the fact that it was during the civil war had no real significant, apart from one being from the south and the other from the north)
It was very repetitive (at least up to where I stopped)
And, for me- boring :(
I'm in a very very minority here, plus- I read it after I finished one of the best books I read lately, so take that into consideration.
April 15, 2012
This book was an interesting blend of history, romance and ugliness that left me feeling quite conflicted. I really enjoyed the premise, and Jeff Mann is gifted in telling tense, atmospheric stories I but was left feeling a bit cheated by the unfinishedness of the ending. Another detracting factor for me was the clunky, old-timey dialogue which, to my modern sensibilities felt awkward (and I have no idea how accurate this was or wasn't since my only reference point for the American civil war is Cold Mountain). Even so, I feel like this book is a sincere, authentic account of deprivation and desire and is definitely a worthwhile read.
June 21, 2012
(This review appears at the GLBT Bookshelf: http://www.glbtbookshelf.com)
A five-star review should be hard-earned, in order for it to carry weight. A really brilliant piece of literature displays the writer’s ability to perform a few acrobatic feats – this requires a real understanding of the technical aspects of writing. If a writer can do this, and do it in a unique fashion, the book will be inspiring, not merely a good read. With “Purgatory”, Jeff Mann has offered up a gourmet feast of a book for the discerning reader, the hopeful historian, the language-loving fellow writer, and certainly for this picky reviewer.
“Purgatory” is a story of and within the worst campaigns of the Civil War. It is a literary novel in the true sense, not a romance – the romance in the book, while central to the story and consistently engaging, is only a tool by which the author discusses deeper meaning about the human experience. The bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place in and around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia: in 1862, during the early years of the war, southern general Stonewall Jackson waged a successful campaign to turn away Union invaders to the traditionally southern enclave, observing “If this Valley is lost, Virginia is lost.” But shortly after, the tide began to turn as first the north-western section of Virginia split off in 1863 (later to be called “West Virginia”) in order to disassociate itself from the Confederacy, and the North realized that the Shenandoah Valley was a major source of food supplies to General Lee’s troops. The campaign the North waged in late 1864 that burned, ravaged and destroyed the Valley, turned the tide of the war for good and sealed the fate of the Confederacy. Jeff Mann’s insightful, moving story tells the story of the hearts of the men who watched their farms and fields burn and their heritage disappear into ashes. These are poor soldiers, trudging almost blindly from one corner of the Valley to another, both fearing and anticipating encountering the enemy, subsisting on meager supplies and often little to no food (while Northern troops are federally supplied and eat well).
Young Ian, a farmer from the mountains of northern West Virginia, has watched the North invade and pillage his home and that of his relatives, for three years and for political reasons he hardly grasps. As the war nears its closing weeks – a fact of which he is of course unaware, as all they are – he finds himself still a soldier and weary of destruction and killing, beyond homesick. His commanding officer – his uncle Sarge – is equally weary and bitter to boot: as is the case with many of the straggling remaining soldiers of a once large company, his farm was burned, livestock shot, wife murdered. He nurses his anger by periodically capturing a Yankee soldier and torturing him slowly to death. Ian is routinely given the exalted position of nursing the victim, just enough to keep him alive for more torture - until either Sarge gets bored and kills him with his bare hands, or the man dies of starvation, his injuries, or exposure. Sarge means to “toughen up” his gentle, book-loving nephew by forcing his compliance in the torture and murder, but the challenge is even greater for Ian than Sarge knows: Ian is sexually attracted to men, and has found himself more than once attracted to a prisoner that was later killed. As the book begins, the nightmare is repeating itself once again: the newest prisoner, a young Yankee from Pennsylvania, quickly inspires the deepest of desires and emotions in Ian, and this time Ian is not willing to lose the battle of wills he will inevitably wage with Sarge and his cohorts.
As the days crawl by and the torture increases in its cruelty, as it becomes more and more difficult for Ian to heal Drew’s wounds and save his life, Ian realizes that the principles that once fueled his devotion to the Confederate cause are dimming: he will risk his own life and turn his back on his friends and culture, in order to save his lover and build a life for them – a chance at a life where two men can touch one another as they do in the stories of The Iliad and in Walt Whitman’s poems. These works of literature are the thing that Ian, and through him Drew, clings to as evidence that he is not some freak in the world – where terms like “gay” are not available. The author invites the reader into a world before mass media, where one’s circle of acquaintances was small, where religious tolerance was limited, where it was easy to think you were the “only one”, a freak of nature, God’s joke. The painful isolation these men feel screams from the pages time and again, and is heartbreaking.
Jeff Mann is a writer’s writer: he was first a poet, and it shows. The book is relayed in a first person, present tense narrative mode – something little attempted in modern literature, and terribly effective when so expertly done. It lends a sense of immediacy and intimacy that, combined with the author’s extensive use of historical detail, pulls the reader into the filthy, tired, poverty-stricken last days of a too-long war. Mann’s command of language is complete: it is luxurious but never overly-sentimental. A description of the climax of their first sexual contact:
His thighs stiffen, his hands grip the back of my head, he heaves against my face, and my mouth floods with the milk of him, surge after surge I gulp down. He tastes like sarvis berries, marigold petals, prayer. If prayers were solids, not sounds, this is what God would taste, what God would learn to crave.”
Two metaphors are central to the story: the first is made up of religious imagery. Many times, Drew is described in Christ-like terms, as an innocent (despite his crimes as a Northern soldier against the Valley), as a wounded martyr to the fury of war-weary soldiers. As Drew trudges along shackled and tied to a cart, increasingly weakened by his torture, increasingly humiliated and demoralized, at one point forced to carry a log upon his shoulders like a cross, he is described as marching toward Calvary (the place of crucifixion) and fed hope by Ian that if only he can will himself to survive until they reach Mount Purgatory (Purgatory being the Christian symbol of second chances, of redemption from sin) they will run for freedom. These Christian images are particularly interesting because Ian has long-since ceased to believe in the faith of his childhood, and also because Christianity is used by Sarge and his thugs to justify torture and hatred, and disgust at “sodomites” – which is of course what Ian knows he is.
A second, and even more interesting metaphor has to do with mythology and the image of the Greek or Roman warrior, held in bonds, bleeding, yet physically perfect and still strong at heart. Tangled with this imagery is Ian’s sexual arousal at seeing his love object tortured: Ian is a small, wiry man (although given to fits of ferocity in battle), and wrestles with a part of himself that enjoys the power he feels at seeing a large, handsome, strong warrior of a man broken. His continuous fight with himself throughout the book to reconcile his love of Drew with his desire to see him tortured, parallels the human desire to see a stronger individual lose to oneself and the seldom admitted-to and common sexual link. The book has been described as an exercise in BDSM: but that cheapens its message. The torture in this book is non-consentual, and as it increases, the turn-on Ian feels decreases. At some point he recognizes it as just plain brutality and he wants it to end: he is in fact human not only in his demons, but in his compassion. The message is universal to us all.
At the book’s poignant end, as the two lovers discuss whether anyone will remember them and how they lived and fought, Drew imagines a near-unimagined future of tolerance:
“No, I mean the men who come.” Drew swallows hard, resting the butt of his rifle on the rock beneath us, “Who will come to be born. Men like us. Men who, well, touch one another like you and I touch. Like in the Whitman poems you read me. Like in The Iliad. It’s a comfort thinking that they are there, somewhere. That they might be there, long after we’re gone, they’re thinking of us. Looking back for us. From some more fortunate place.”
Ultimately, “Purgatory”, like the best of books, is about all of us – about the demons within ourselves of which we are ashamed, about loneliness and the terror of isolation, about a world that often presents unimaginable cruelties and how we each must decide how brave we are going to be – and what we will give up for the freedom to love.
- LC
A five-star review should be hard-earned, in order for it to carry weight. A really brilliant piece of literature displays the writer’s ability to perform a few acrobatic feats – this requires a real understanding of the technical aspects of writing. If a writer can do this, and do it in a unique fashion, the book will be inspiring, not merely a good read. With “Purgatory”, Jeff Mann has offered up a gourmet feast of a book for the discerning reader, the hopeful historian, the language-loving fellow writer, and certainly for this picky reviewer.
“Purgatory” is a story of and within the worst campaigns of the Civil War. It is a literary novel in the true sense, not a romance – the romance in the book, while central to the story and consistently engaging, is only a tool by which the author discusses deeper meaning about the human experience. The bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place in and around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia: in 1862, during the early years of the war, southern general Stonewall Jackson waged a successful campaign to turn away Union invaders to the traditionally southern enclave, observing “If this Valley is lost, Virginia is lost.” But shortly after, the tide began to turn as first the north-western section of Virginia split off in 1863 (later to be called “West Virginia”) in order to disassociate itself from the Confederacy, and the North realized that the Shenandoah Valley was a major source of food supplies to General Lee’s troops. The campaign the North waged in late 1864 that burned, ravaged and destroyed the Valley, turned the tide of the war for good and sealed the fate of the Confederacy. Jeff Mann’s insightful, moving story tells the story of the hearts of the men who watched their farms and fields burn and their heritage disappear into ashes. These are poor soldiers, trudging almost blindly from one corner of the Valley to another, both fearing and anticipating encountering the enemy, subsisting on meager supplies and often little to no food (while Northern troops are federally supplied and eat well).
Young Ian, a farmer from the mountains of northern West Virginia, has watched the North invade and pillage his home and that of his relatives, for three years and for political reasons he hardly grasps. As the war nears its closing weeks – a fact of which he is of course unaware, as all they are – he finds himself still a soldier and weary of destruction and killing, beyond homesick. His commanding officer – his uncle Sarge – is equally weary and bitter to boot: as is the case with many of the straggling remaining soldiers of a once large company, his farm was burned, livestock shot, wife murdered. He nurses his anger by periodically capturing a Yankee soldier and torturing him slowly to death. Ian is routinely given the exalted position of nursing the victim, just enough to keep him alive for more torture - until either Sarge gets bored and kills him with his bare hands, or the man dies of starvation, his injuries, or exposure. Sarge means to “toughen up” his gentle, book-loving nephew by forcing his compliance in the torture and murder, but the challenge is even greater for Ian than Sarge knows: Ian is sexually attracted to men, and has found himself more than once attracted to a prisoner that was later killed. As the book begins, the nightmare is repeating itself once again: the newest prisoner, a young Yankee from Pennsylvania, quickly inspires the deepest of desires and emotions in Ian, and this time Ian is not willing to lose the battle of wills he will inevitably wage with Sarge and his cohorts.
As the days crawl by and the torture increases in its cruelty, as it becomes more and more difficult for Ian to heal Drew’s wounds and save his life, Ian realizes that the principles that once fueled his devotion to the Confederate cause are dimming: he will risk his own life and turn his back on his friends and culture, in order to save his lover and build a life for them – a chance at a life where two men can touch one another as they do in the stories of The Iliad and in Walt Whitman’s poems. These works of literature are the thing that Ian, and through him Drew, clings to as evidence that he is not some freak in the world – where terms like “gay” are not available. The author invites the reader into a world before mass media, where one’s circle of acquaintances was small, where religious tolerance was limited, where it was easy to think you were the “only one”, a freak of nature, God’s joke. The painful isolation these men feel screams from the pages time and again, and is heartbreaking.
Jeff Mann is a writer’s writer: he was first a poet, and it shows. The book is relayed in a first person, present tense narrative mode – something little attempted in modern literature, and terribly effective when so expertly done. It lends a sense of immediacy and intimacy that, combined with the author’s extensive use of historical detail, pulls the reader into the filthy, tired, poverty-stricken last days of a too-long war. Mann’s command of language is complete: it is luxurious but never overly-sentimental. A description of the climax of their first sexual contact:
His thighs stiffen, his hands grip the back of my head, he heaves against my face, and my mouth floods with the milk of him, surge after surge I gulp down. He tastes like sarvis berries, marigold petals, prayer. If prayers were solids, not sounds, this is what God would taste, what God would learn to crave.”
Two metaphors are central to the story: the first is made up of religious imagery. Many times, Drew is described in Christ-like terms, as an innocent (despite his crimes as a Northern soldier against the Valley), as a wounded martyr to the fury of war-weary soldiers. As Drew trudges along shackled and tied to a cart, increasingly weakened by his torture, increasingly humiliated and demoralized, at one point forced to carry a log upon his shoulders like a cross, he is described as marching toward Calvary (the place of crucifixion) and fed hope by Ian that if only he can will himself to survive until they reach Mount Purgatory (Purgatory being the Christian symbol of second chances, of redemption from sin) they will run for freedom. These Christian images are particularly interesting because Ian has long-since ceased to believe in the faith of his childhood, and also because Christianity is used by Sarge and his thugs to justify torture and hatred, and disgust at “sodomites” – which is of course what Ian knows he is.
A second, and even more interesting metaphor has to do with mythology and the image of the Greek or Roman warrior, held in bonds, bleeding, yet physically perfect and still strong at heart. Tangled with this imagery is Ian’s sexual arousal at seeing his love object tortured: Ian is a small, wiry man (although given to fits of ferocity in battle), and wrestles with a part of himself that enjoys the power he feels at seeing a large, handsome, strong warrior of a man broken. His continuous fight with himself throughout the book to reconcile his love of Drew with his desire to see him tortured, parallels the human desire to see a stronger individual lose to oneself and the seldom admitted-to and common sexual link. The book has been described as an exercise in BDSM: but that cheapens its message. The torture in this book is non-consentual, and as it increases, the turn-on Ian feels decreases. At some point he recognizes it as just plain brutality and he wants it to end: he is in fact human not only in his demons, but in his compassion. The message is universal to us all.
At the book’s poignant end, as the two lovers discuss whether anyone will remember them and how they lived and fought, Drew imagines a near-unimagined future of tolerance:
“No, I mean the men who come.” Drew swallows hard, resting the butt of his rifle on the rock beneath us, “Who will come to be born. Men like us. Men who, well, touch one another like you and I touch. Like in the Whitman poems you read me. Like in The Iliad. It’s a comfort thinking that they are there, somewhere. That they might be there, long after we’re gone, they’re thinking of us. Looking back for us. From some more fortunate place.”
Ultimately, “Purgatory”, like the best of books, is about all of us – about the demons within ourselves of which we are ashamed, about loneliness and the terror of isolation, about a world that often presents unimaginable cruelties and how we each must decide how brave we are going to be – and what we will give up for the freedom to love.
- LC
Read
January 21, 2022I'm not rating this one, because even after reflecting I'm too mixed up about it. First, before I go any further, know this: I don't have a problem with BDSM. I don't have a problem with writers creating characters and situations that are murky grey. I do believe that for many Southerners at the time, the Civil War had very little to do with the specific right to own slaves. I also believe that the Southern economy they were defending was paid for with the murder and rape of African-Americans. And I do believe that the North still spends too much time telling themselves that racism is a Southern thing.
With that out of the way, let me sketch the situation for you. I'm going to try making it not-too-spoilery.
Ian is a Confederate soldier in a small band led by his uncle. He's an intellectual and a gay man (closeted, obviously), who has compensated for his perceived weakness by sharpshooting and viciousness in combat. His uncle has a nasty habit of capturing, torturing, and murdering Union soldiers. Specifically, big strapping manly ones. Ian had a crush on the first one. His uncle thought Ian was too kind to the prisoner and strangled the man in front of Ian to toughen him up.
Drew is the next captured Union soldier. Ian's uncle puts him in charge of Drew's care, meaning that Ian has the power to provide or withhold food, water, clothing, medical care, and shelter to Drew after he's repeatedly whipped, beaten, urinated on, cruelly bound and left exposed to the weather, and threatened with rape by the other soldiers.
Does Drew have any power in this situation, other than possibly goading the Rebs into putting him out of his misery? No. Does Ian have the power to free Drew without risking death at his uncle's hands? No, but he has HUGE power over Drew.
Life is messy. Jeff Mann was under no obligation to write a book that pretends otherwise. But GAH, I could not stop thinking about the grossly unequal power that these characters held. Most modern correctional facilities in the U.S. have regulations forbidding sexual and romantic relationships between prisoners and staff - and one of the reasons is because prisoners are NOT free to set boundaries in these relationships. It's unethical, for some of the same reasons that teacher-student relationships are unethical.
As it turns out, Ian is also a dominant sadist. One of his early sexual experiences involved witnessing the beating of a criminal caught on his family's farm. Involuntary pain. Just like Drew's. And one of Drew's sexual experiences before the war was wrestling with another man and enjoying being defeated and pinned.
I do not have a problem with these guys' preferences. I do not have a problem with Ian's arousal while tending to Drew's wounds. That's an involuntary reaction. I am incredibly disturbed by Drew's continued torture becoming an extension of their relationship, since Drew can't opt out of it.
Any review of the "romance" in this book that doesn't engage with this power differential kind of grosses me out.
Enough said about all that.
Here's the other sticking point for me. Jeff Mann describes himself as a Confederate sympathizer. I tried to keep an open mind reading the book, but there were definitely points where I felt like he was pushing an agenda that I don't have positive feelings about. To sum up my impression of it: war is made up of terrible acts committed by all sides, and it's really important for you to know that Northern whites were racist and Union armies did terrible things. I don't think he quite achieved the complexity he talked about aiming for here: http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/enter... And I feel like his comments about Confederate History Month in that interview ignore the pain that it causes many African-Americans to celebrate those who fought to keep their ancestors enslaved for forced labor, rape, torture, murder, and the shattering of families. So I don't feel comfortable with his point of view, though I don't think he's a bad person for having it, and I don't like feeling on my guard for that while reading his work.
All that said, I will probably read the sequel to see how Mann continues to handle all this, despite my concerns, and despite my feeling that often the characters go on at great length in organized speeches in contexts where that doesn't make a lot of sense. Mann has a lot of strengths as a writer and he did really make me care about Ian and Drew.
Okay this is the longest review I've ever written. Whew.
With that out of the way, let me sketch the situation for you. I'm going to try making it not-too-spoilery.
Ian is a Confederate soldier in a small band led by his uncle. He's an intellectual and a gay man (closeted, obviously), who has compensated for his perceived weakness by sharpshooting and viciousness in combat. His uncle has a nasty habit of capturing, torturing, and murdering Union soldiers. Specifically, big strapping manly ones. Ian had a crush on the first one. His uncle thought Ian was too kind to the prisoner and strangled the man in front of Ian to toughen him up.
Drew is the next captured Union soldier. Ian's uncle puts him in charge of Drew's care, meaning that Ian has the power to provide or withhold food, water, clothing, medical care, and shelter to Drew after he's repeatedly whipped, beaten, urinated on, cruelly bound and left exposed to the weather, and threatened with rape by the other soldiers.
Does Drew have any power in this situation, other than possibly goading the Rebs into putting him out of his misery? No. Does Ian have the power to free Drew without risking death at his uncle's hands? No, but he has HUGE power over Drew.
Life is messy. Jeff Mann was under no obligation to write a book that pretends otherwise. But GAH, I could not stop thinking about the grossly unequal power that these characters held. Most modern correctional facilities in the U.S. have regulations forbidding sexual and romantic relationships between prisoners and staff - and one of the reasons is because prisoners are NOT free to set boundaries in these relationships. It's unethical, for some of the same reasons that teacher-student relationships are unethical.
As it turns out, Ian is also a dominant sadist. One of his early sexual experiences involved witnessing the beating of a criminal caught on his family's farm. Involuntary pain. Just like Drew's. And one of Drew's sexual experiences before the war was wrestling with another man and enjoying being defeated and pinned.
I do not have a problem with these guys' preferences. I do not have a problem with Ian's arousal while tending to Drew's wounds. That's an involuntary reaction. I am incredibly disturbed by Drew's continued torture becoming an extension of their relationship, since Drew can't opt out of it.
Any review of the "romance" in this book that doesn't engage with this power differential kind of grosses me out.
Enough said about all that.
Here's the other sticking point for me. Jeff Mann describes himself as a Confederate sympathizer. I tried to keep an open mind reading the book, but there were definitely points where I felt like he was pushing an agenda that I don't have positive feelings about. To sum up my impression of it: war is made up of terrible acts committed by all sides, and it's really important for you to know that Northern whites were racist and Union armies did terrible things. I don't think he quite achieved the complexity he talked about aiming for here: http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/enter... And I feel like his comments about Confederate History Month in that interview ignore the pain that it causes many African-Americans to celebrate those who fought to keep their ancestors enslaved for forced labor, rape, torture, murder, and the shattering of families. So I don't feel comfortable with his point of view, though I don't think he's a bad person for having it, and I don't like feeling on my guard for that while reading his work.
All that said, I will probably read the sequel to see how Mann continues to handle all this, despite my concerns, and despite my feeling that often the characters go on at great length in organized speeches in contexts where that doesn't make a lot of sense. Mann has a lot of strengths as a writer and he did really make me care about Ian and Drew.
Okay this is the longest review I've ever written. Whew.
September 10, 2015
3.75ish. A bit slower than Fog: A Novel of Desire and Reprisal, but just as heartwrenching and gritty. The inclusion of so much poetry made me skim a few lines here and there (Jeff does love his Whitman, doesn't he?) and, at times, it seemed like the torture just wouldn't end, but in between those are such beautiful, poignant moments that it just makes your heart melt.
I LOVE that Drew was big and muscular (when he pulled the wagon out the mud I damn near swooned) and that even though, Ian was physically smaller he was his source of comfort (and a badass). Ian held Drew's fate in his hands so many times and he stepped up every time..well as much as he could given the circumstances.
I really enjoyed this. The writing is second to none. Jeff transports you to the battlefield - the mud, the starvation, the wounds and yes, the lice and fleas - and gives you front row seats to two men from opposite sides of the war falling in love. While the story is not as 'tight' as Fog, I will definitely read this one again.
I LOVE that Drew was big and muscular (when he pulled the wagon out the mud I damn near swooned) and that even though, Ian was physically smaller he was his source of comfort (and a badass). Ian held Drew's fate in his hands so many times and he stepped up every time..well as much as he could given the circumstances.
I really enjoyed this. The writing is second to none. Jeff transports you to the battlefield - the mud, the starvation, the wounds and yes, the lice and fleas - and gives you front row seats to two men from opposite sides of the war falling in love. While the story is not as 'tight' as Fog, I will definitely read this one again.
April 17, 2013
The writing is beautiful. The lyrical narrative makes the reading slower than usually - the reader just have to stop the proces and admire the simple beauty of language.
It's a great story, and it seemed off to me in the one single moment, so I gave it 4 stars.
It's a great story, and it seemed off to me in the one single moment, so I gave it 4 stars.
October 26, 2015
2012 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
April 28, 2016
2012. That’s what amazed me the most when I read this novel. The moment you start reading it, tripping over phrases and paras which highlight the gruesome shrubbery of war or the mustering hateship of both the sides, I couldn’t help but be more and more amazed withe poetic touch to it all. It seemed so full of sensations and the narrator all too ready to hold me in his grasp of everything around him. I know this narrator part sounds cliched, but the narrator was never crisp like modern novels’ narrators are nor the writer curt and hesitant as most are in their wake of pleasing the masses. It seemed more real because it encountered the basic emotions and doubts through their exchanged verses.
All the contemporary erotic fictions keep you on the verge of anticipation of the sex scene. “when will they do it?”, “When will they do it without a condom?”, “What will happen when he blows him?”, “Will he loose his anal virginity?”And you know what, they all somehow turn out to be the same. But this was different. It was ninety nine ways different. It had all the elements of that anticipation but they were sublimely interspersed with the other rages of war, terror, rape, molestation and the worst of all love. Their romance seemed archaic but almost believable in this book. When I write this, I doubt if many would agree. Maybe most wouldn’t. But the important thing to understand is that even after the repeated remarks of expected sex on the part of both the lovers it wasn’t relevant to me that much. What mattered was for them to end up together, for them to comfort themselves in the midst of all the happenings and for them to truly accept who they are given the amount of abnormality associated with their new perspectives.
The way this author has described the first whipping and the whole atmosphere in mere 1000 words and make me read it twice for its beauty, was just exemplary. Here is an extract:
“His nakedness is like a poem. I don’t want to feel this. The skin revealed is even paler than his face. A dense layer of honey-hued hair covers his big chest and flat belly, making a little ruff over his collarbones, feathery explosions in his armpits. Freckles scatter his wide white shoulders. The thick muscles of his torso and arms bulge in the extremity of his restraint. I want to stand here and study him. Again I want to stroke his face. The soldier looks down at me, trying to make sound against the fabric gagging him. I think he’s begging. As if I’m in control here; as if I could save him. His eyebrows arch;his forehead furrows; he shakes his head; he tugs hard at the rope suspending him.”
He is good at explaining raw desires and not too recalcitrant over any information you do not want. Tries to give whatever’s needed and this I mark as another quality of wonderful writing. I lovingly look forward to his next in the series.
All the contemporary erotic fictions keep you on the verge of anticipation of the sex scene. “when will they do it?”, “When will they do it without a condom?”, “What will happen when he blows him?”, “Will he loose his anal virginity?”And you know what, they all somehow turn out to be the same. But this was different. It was ninety nine ways different. It had all the elements of that anticipation but they were sublimely interspersed with the other rages of war, terror, rape, molestation and the worst of all love. Their romance seemed archaic but almost believable in this book. When I write this, I doubt if many would agree. Maybe most wouldn’t. But the important thing to understand is that even after the repeated remarks of expected sex on the part of both the lovers it wasn’t relevant to me that much. What mattered was for them to end up together, for them to comfort themselves in the midst of all the happenings and for them to truly accept who they are given the amount of abnormality associated with their new perspectives.
The way this author has described the first whipping and the whole atmosphere in mere 1000 words and make me read it twice for its beauty, was just exemplary. Here is an extract:
“His nakedness is like a poem. I don’t want to feel this. The skin revealed is even paler than his face. A dense layer of honey-hued hair covers his big chest and flat belly, making a little ruff over his collarbones, feathery explosions in his armpits. Freckles scatter his wide white shoulders. The thick muscles of his torso and arms bulge in the extremity of his restraint. I want to stand here and study him. Again I want to stroke his face. The soldier looks down at me, trying to make sound against the fabric gagging him. I think he’s begging. As if I’m in control here; as if I could save him. His eyebrows arch;his forehead furrows; he shakes his head; he tugs hard at the rope suspending him.”
He is good at explaining raw desires and not too recalcitrant over any information you do not want. Tries to give whatever’s needed and this I mark as another quality of wonderful writing. I lovingly look forward to his next in the series.
September 28, 2013
I have a confession to make.
I was so worried that there wouldn't be a HEA that I read the end first.
Then, once I knew the answer, I flipped to halfway through and read to the end, and then once that was done, I flipped back to the beginning.
I know, I know. I shouldna' done that, but I actually found it intriguing, seeing how Jeff Mann manipulated the writing to make each subsequent action plausible.
I noted one review condemned the story because of the POV's cowardice.
To understand that, it helps to have read Jeff's other works, both his fiction and his essays to gain an understanding of his fascination with the South and his championing of their cause in the Civil War and to appreciate his love for the methods they used back then to punish their captives. Methods he has applied in his own BDSM sessions (or at least dreamed of using)
The final reason I accepted the POV characters actions (not condoned or excused) was the size factor. He was a small man, an individual who could have rebelled sooner but that would have brought into question all his actions and motives to date. Loyalty to a cause, loyalty to a lost brother, loyalty to a family member who had saved his life on a number of occasions is not easy to fight, especially when underneath the love he feels for another man are all the feelings that this love is "wrong" and sinful.
I felt that any quicker determination to buck the system would have been unbelievable. Yeah, the story would have been shorter, but all too convenient.
It is a tribute to Mann's writing, that once again I coped with the present tense, and enjoyed a story which on the surface shouldn't have appealed to me. A master storyteller and wonderful writer.
I was so worried that there wouldn't be a HEA that I read the end first.
Then, once I knew the answer, I flipped to halfway through and read to the end, and then once that was done, I flipped back to the beginning.
I know, I know. I shouldna' done that, but I actually found it intriguing, seeing how Jeff Mann manipulated the writing to make each subsequent action plausible.
I noted one review condemned the story because of the POV's cowardice.
To understand that, it helps to have read Jeff's other works, both his fiction and his essays to gain an understanding of his fascination with the South and his championing of their cause in the Civil War and to appreciate his love for the methods they used back then to punish their captives. Methods he has applied in his own BDSM sessions (or at least dreamed of using)
The final reason I accepted the POV characters actions (not condoned or excused) was the size factor. He was a small man, an individual who could have rebelled sooner but that would have brought into question all his actions and motives to date. Loyalty to a cause, loyalty to a lost brother, loyalty to a family member who had saved his life on a number of occasions is not easy to fight, especially when underneath the love he feels for another man are all the feelings that this love is "wrong" and sinful.
I felt that any quicker determination to buck the system would have been unbelievable. Yeah, the story would have been shorter, but all too convenient.
It is a tribute to Mann's writing, that once again I coped with the present tense, and enjoyed a story which on the surface shouldn't have appealed to me. A master storyteller and wonderful writer.
April 11, 2012
Really enjoyed this, it's gritty and has some seriously hot moments. I guess what makes it a 4 read and not a 5 is the unrelenting tension the author builds. There were no peaks troughs, just one massive build and made me feel a little uncomfortable. Like I needed some down time!
Not for the squeamish, but definitely worth a nosey.
Not for the squeamish, but definitely worth a nosey.
September 12, 2014
Darkly compelling, steeped in rich details, harrowing and sad, I felt as if I'd stepped into the very daguerreotype on the cover. I've longed for such a story about a male affair between Civil War soldiers.
I look forward to reading the sequel, Salvation, and more from Jeff!
I look forward to reading the sequel, Salvation, and more from Jeff!
June 26, 2012
Jeff Mann is a superb writer. This historial novel blends war,romance, BDSM and food (yes food) into a beautiful work of art. I was there every moment, as Mann's book is written in the moment, so rich in detail, emotion, fear and optimism. This a major work of fiction.
December 23, 2012
REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED AT REVIEWS BY JESSEWAVE WHERE I RECEIVED THE BOOK AS FREE REVIEWING COPY. I ALSO PURCHASED MY OWN COPY LATER ON.
Big warning up front: this book contains scenes of violence and torture, so if this bothers you, you should stay away from it.
Me? I cannot stay away from "from enemies to lovers" themes, and this book certainly did not disappoint. As you could see from the blurb, the action takes place during the US Civil War, and Drew gets captured by a unit of Southern soldiers, among which is Ian.
It seems that the story was extremely well-researched, but as always a disclaimer: while I am trying to learn as much as possible about American history, I cannot claim deep knowledge of any of it. From whatever I have read and learned about the Civil War though, Purgatory seems very authentic. The speech of the characters definitely transports you to another time and place, though I cannot say though whether there are any anachronistic words in the text or not as I have no idea. There is also an impressive bibliography at the end, which the author read in preparation for writing of this book. I have not read a single one of those books and definitely planning to, so I want to say a personal thank you.
I have to say though, that while the author certainly does not demonize the soldiers who suffer and die on both sides of the conflict and does not glorify the war, I was kind of thinking that I did not notice a shred of sympathy towards the Northern cause. Let me stress that I did not feel that the author portrayed the Southerners as Angels and the Northerners as Demons, and he definitely showed that on both sides there were tired, stressed-out men who would want first and foremost to go back to their families and who were very hurt by the years of war, but when he talks about the war on the bigger scale, the impression I got was that he portrayed Northerners as invaders (which had nothing to do with slavery, but only with desire not to let the Southern states to get away, and I always thought it was both) and the South as brave defenders of their lands. I hope I am making sense; I felt that the author portrayed the shades of gray on the smaller scale very well, such as when we see interactions between the soldiers, but felt none of it was shown on the bigger scale. Surely Sheridan's troops were not the only ones who committed atrocities to the civilian population for example? We see the band of Southern soldiers committing those atrocities towards Drew, but as I said, I felt a disconnect of sorts between the larger and smaller scale of events in that aspect. This has nothing to do with the grading of the book, but I felt a need to comment on it anyway.
I thought that the writer combined historical settings with the erotica and love story perfectly. It is violent, tender, beautiful and very hot. It really surprised me how believable the torture felt, even though it was obviously meant to be erotic as well, in my opinion. I think it was a very wise choice to place the love story during the war times, when capturing prisoners and torturing them is something that can easily happen unfortunately. I have read a couple of stories where it was obvious that the authors were writing with fans of erotic torture in mind, but they seemed to forget that the characters were not just sexual objects and their other actions also should make sense. This is not one of those stories; despite long scenes of torture I could believe that something like this could easily happen during war times.
I really liked how the author portrayed both Ian and Drew, how believable their connection was and how their initial dislike and distrust changed to tenderness and love. It was really interesting to see how the author portrayed the BDSM-like mindset of both characters (sadist and masochist), did not talk in modern terms and contrasted it with what Drew had to endure from the real sadists and thus managed to inject a lot of tenderness and kindness between these two guys and *still* made it believable for me.
The writing itself was just lovely. This is one of those books where I feel that the writing is so beautiful that I am not qualified to even say anything about it, except to say how much I liked it.
"I pray for Jeff, for Drew, for all the young men out under the cold skies, huddled under oilcloths and by campfires, or rotting in graves, their pine boxes collapsing, their uniforms molding, their splendid bodies melting down to bone, their graves sinking in woodland or field, innumerable little depressions like a finger might make in a clay. I might have loved so many of them, living or dead, if we'd been given a chance to meet."
I hope this excerpt can show you why, despite a story containing a lot of torture and usually not being my cup of tea, I really loved this one. If you think it is too poetic, my feeling is that the text justified it very well as Ian is well educated.
I also did not mind at all that the story is written in present tense, a device that I dislike more often than I like, but here I thought it suited the story well. I also thought that it showed off the writer's skill that there was no head hopping at all, or at least I did not notice any. I thought the author showed us Drew and the other characters through Ian's eyes to such a degree that I felt I knew them very well when the story was done.
Lastly, the ending was as hopeful as it could have realistically fit the story.
Very highly recommended.
Big warning up front: this book contains scenes of violence and torture, so if this bothers you, you should stay away from it.
Me? I cannot stay away from "from enemies to lovers" themes, and this book certainly did not disappoint. As you could see from the blurb, the action takes place during the US Civil War, and Drew gets captured by a unit of Southern soldiers, among which is Ian.
It seems that the story was extremely well-researched, but as always a disclaimer: while I am trying to learn as much as possible about American history, I cannot claim deep knowledge of any of it. From whatever I have read and learned about the Civil War though, Purgatory seems very authentic. The speech of the characters definitely transports you to another time and place, though I cannot say though whether there are any anachronistic words in the text or not as I have no idea. There is also an impressive bibliography at the end, which the author read in preparation for writing of this book. I have not read a single one of those books and definitely planning to, so I want to say a personal thank you.
I have to say though, that while the author certainly does not demonize the soldiers who suffer and die on both sides of the conflict and does not glorify the war, I was kind of thinking that I did not notice a shred of sympathy towards the Northern cause. Let me stress that I did not feel that the author portrayed the Southerners as Angels and the Northerners as Demons, and he definitely showed that on both sides there were tired, stressed-out men who would want first and foremost to go back to their families and who were very hurt by the years of war, but when he talks about the war on the bigger scale, the impression I got was that he portrayed Northerners as invaders (which had nothing to do with slavery, but only with desire not to let the Southern states to get away, and I always thought it was both) and the South as brave defenders of their lands. I hope I am making sense; I felt that the author portrayed the shades of gray on the smaller scale very well, such as when we see interactions between the soldiers, but felt none of it was shown on the bigger scale. Surely Sheridan's troops were not the only ones who committed atrocities to the civilian population for example? We see the band of Southern soldiers committing those atrocities towards Drew, but as I said, I felt a disconnect of sorts between the larger and smaller scale of events in that aspect. This has nothing to do with the grading of the book, but I felt a need to comment on it anyway.
I thought that the writer combined historical settings with the erotica and love story perfectly. It is violent, tender, beautiful and very hot. It really surprised me how believable the torture felt, even though it was obviously meant to be erotic as well, in my opinion. I think it was a very wise choice to place the love story during the war times, when capturing prisoners and torturing them is something that can easily happen unfortunately. I have read a couple of stories where it was obvious that the authors were writing with fans of erotic torture in mind, but they seemed to forget that the characters were not just sexual objects and their other actions also should make sense. This is not one of those stories; despite long scenes of torture I could believe that something like this could easily happen during war times.
I really liked how the author portrayed both Ian and Drew, how believable their connection was and how their initial dislike and distrust changed to tenderness and love. It was really interesting to see how the author portrayed the BDSM-like mindset of both characters (sadist and masochist), did not talk in modern terms and contrasted it with what Drew had to endure from the real sadists and thus managed to inject a lot of tenderness and kindness between these two guys and *still* made it believable for me.
The writing itself was just lovely. This is one of those books where I feel that the writing is so beautiful that I am not qualified to even say anything about it, except to say how much I liked it.
"I pray for Jeff, for Drew, for all the young men out under the cold skies, huddled under oilcloths and by campfires, or rotting in graves, their pine boxes collapsing, their uniforms molding, their splendid bodies melting down to bone, their graves sinking in woodland or field, innumerable little depressions like a finger might make in a clay. I might have loved so many of them, living or dead, if we'd been given a chance to meet."
I hope this excerpt can show you why, despite a story containing a lot of torture and usually not being my cup of tea, I really loved this one. If you think it is too poetic, my feeling is that the text justified it very well as Ian is well educated.
I also did not mind at all that the story is written in present tense, a device that I dislike more often than I like, but here I thought it suited the story well. I also thought that it showed off the writer's skill that there was no head hopping at all, or at least I did not notice any. I thought the author showed us Drew and the other characters through Ian's eyes to such a degree that I felt I knew them very well when the story was done.
Lastly, the ending was as hopeful as it could have realistically fit the story.
Very highly recommended.
Read
September 1, 2018I got halfway through, which was a feat, but I had to stop. It is well-written, but I could not handle any more of the creepy dynamic nor any more of Drew's fuzzy buttocks.
July 14, 2022
Rating: 3.5 (rounded down)
There was a lot to love about this incredibly intense and beautiful enemies-to-lovers romance featuring soldiers on opposite sides of the Civil War but unfortunately, it was letdown by the unnecessary length, repetition and one of the MC's stupidity being used as an ongoing plot device, which got on my nerves.
Wonderful Historical Accuracy
Even if the author hadn't listed the dozens of books he consulted during his research so he could get even the tiniest details right, it's obvious how much work went into the historical authenticity of this story. Historical details were blended seamlessly into the narrative and readers are given enough historical context to understand what's happening without the author relying on info-dumping.
What I especially loved is that the author didn't try to sanitize anything about the character's situations in order to make the story fall in line with modern contemporary romances. Ian and Drew spend the entire story being filthy, hairy, half-starved and covered in lice. There's a lot of emphasis on their body hair and body odor but I liked that this rugged manliness turned them both on. It was such a refreshing change from the usual portrayal of romance heroes, who usually only have body hair in 'sexy' locations and that hair is always carefully maintained. While the constant repetition of Ian loving Drew's body hair got a bit annoying, it was so nice to read a story set in the 1860s wilderness where the characters actually looked like they were supposed to.
But connected to this, I appreciated that the author didn't turn the character's lack of hygiene into an overly icky situation. Ian always made sure Drew was freshly washed before sexy times happened and there are certain levels of odor that even Ian wasn't willing to tolerate. It felt very realistic and that was one of the book's highlights.
Great Enemies-To-Lovers Progression
I really loved how the author portrayed both characters, their roles in the war and their relationship with each other. Ian is chosen as Drew's caregiver during Drew's captivity so it's Ian's job to keep him alive so the others can keep torturing him as long as they want. As a result, they spend a lot of time together and their relationship starts out understandably antagonistic. They're both in their early 20s and joined the war out of patriotic pride and youthful ignorance. They've spent years absorbing their side's propaganda so both of them are quick to point out the other side's faults but aren't willing to acknowledge their own side's faults. This led to arguments and anger from both sides, which both of them quickly realize isn't helpful for their situation. Drew is a captive being tortured on a daily basis and Ian is torn between his revulsion with what Drew is going through versus his loyalty to his uncle/militia/country etc. Neither of them need the additional stress of arguing with each other when it's clear that they're never going to change each other's minds. So they agree to disagree and decide to focus on giving each other comfort and support instead of stress and anger.
Through this change, they discover that they have a lot in common (both of them being farm boys in their early 20s from very small rural communities and both of them being gay) and this creates the building blocks of their growing relationship. They spend hours talking about life on their farms, the food they miss from home, the battles they both fought in and their past gay sexual experiences. Even though Drew is only kept captive for 2 weeks, I had no trouble believing their growing connection and that they both ended up falling in love with each other over that short span of time.
But I also liked that their attempts to forget about the war and their roles in it didn't work all the time. They wanted to live in a fantasy land where the war never happened but reality keeps intruding when they come across situations where they're forced to confront the past wrongs they've done during the war and how those wrongs have impacted the other person. For example, Ian is forced to shoot any Yankee patrols they come across while Drew is forced to march through the devastated remains of Virginia that he helped burn.
Epic Hurt-Comfort
What I liked most about this book is that it's basically one epic hurt-comfort story from start to finish. The author doesn't shy away from describing the horrific torture and humiliation that Drew is subjected to on a daily basis, including beatings, floggings, being tied up in pain positions for hours, being urinated on and spat on. There was one scene that was almost too much for me and it involved . So yeah, be prepared for graphic torture and injuries.
But thankfully, the author also doesn't spare any details when Ian is comforting Drew and helping him. Ian isn't in a position of power in his tiny militia group so he can't do much to prevent Drew being tortured, but he always looks for ways to ease Drew's suffering. He keeps half his food rations to give to Drew, he tears up his only undershirt to use as bandages for Drew's wounds, he patiently feeds and cleans Drew when Drew's injuries and restraints prevent him from doing it himself and he sneaks outside to hold Drew's hands or briefly cover him with a blanket so he can get a few minutes of warmth. One of my favorite scenes involved Ian staying awake for hours while Drew is kept outside and restrained in a pain position and Ian is just a few feet away in his tent and he reads out loud to Drew for hours to keep him distracted from the pain and misery. Another scene involved Drew only being allowed to eat insect infested hardtack and Ian spends ages soaking the rock hard biscuit in his coffee until the insects have floated out of it and it's softened enough to make it easier for Drew to eat with his injuries. These scenes beautifully demonstrated how much Ian loved Drew and what true love really means.
A Sweet Dom-Sub Dynamic
One of my favorite things is when an author subverts the usual top-bottom or dom-sub dynamic, which is what happened here. Drew is a huge mountain of a man, yet he enjoys being submissive. Ian is half Drew's size and a quiet academic-type who also has strong dominant desires. Ian quickly realizes he loves taking care of Drew and not just because he grows to care for Drew. In particular, Ian likes that Drew often has to be restrained and gagged while they're together because Drew is utterly dependent on Ian for meeting his most basic needs.
Since Drew is the captive in the situation, the scenario could have easily shifted into uncomfortable dub-con territory, but I never felt it did. Ian never takes advantage of Drew's helplessness and he never forced Drew into a submissive situation. It was more a case where Ian felt weirded out by his enjoyment of seeing Drew restrained and gagged and he also enjoyed how helpless this huge man was while in Ian's care. But when it came to Ian's actions, he was always appropriate and didn't take advantage of the situation.
It was actually Drew who wanted to continue being submissive to Ian even when he was strong enough not to depend on Ian for everything, which was a great way to keep the situation from veering into dub-con territory. For example, Ian only hand fed Drew when Drew was forced to stay restrained and couldn't feed himself. But even when Drew's hands were free, he asked Ian to keep feeding him because Drew enjoyed it. Or when Drew asked Ian to gag him even when it was just the two of them so Drew could continue relying on Ian to guess what he needs and bask in Ian's undivided attention as he took care of him. This is in direct contrast to Drew hating that he relies on Ian's help when he has to relieve himself (I'm not talking about sexual relief) because Drew has to stay restrained so he can't use his hands. Unlike Ian feeding him or bathing him, Drew is humiliated whenever Ian has to help him squat and wipe him clean so Ian does his best to get through those situations as quickly and respectfully as possible.
Overall, Ian understood exactly where Drew's boundaries lay and he always respected those boundaries, which was wonderful. It would have been easy for the situation to become weird and inappropriate, but I felt the author did a really great job of portraying a very sweet dom-sub relationship while both people are living through a difficult situation.
Beautiful Writing
It might not be everyone's cup of tea but I really loved the lyrical quality of the writing style. The author used lots of nature metaphors and similes, which wonderfully fit Ian's country-boy background and also the Virginia woodland that the story takes place in. There were also lots of gorgeous descriptions of the natural beauty of their surroundings, which made the writing a joy to read but also created a great contrast with the ugliness of what was happening to Drew.
Everything I've listed above made this story unique and a really great read but unfortunately, there were things that didn't go the way I wanted.
Too Much Repetition
There was no need for this book to be nearly 300 pages. The entire story takes place over 2 weeks and the main plotline is very basic, with the story starting with Drew's capture and ending with Ian and Drew's escape 2 weeks later. While I loved many elements of it, the entire plot was based on a repetitive cycle that eventually got annoying. The cycle of Drew being tortured and Ian taking care of him while promising that they'll escape soon was done over and over again. It didn't help that a lot of the specific scene details were always the same (ex. camping locations, torture methods, available food, Ian loving Drew's body hair etc). Either the story should have been shorter or the author should have included more interesting plot events.
Underdeveloped Sadism And Master-Slave Dynamic
As I said, I really enjoyed the sweet dom-sub dynamic between Drew and Ian. However, I didn't like how the author attempted and failed to shove other BDSM aspects into the story. Throughout the book, Ian keeps thinking about how much he enjoys watching Drew bleeding and being in pain. He's constantly beating himself up about it and there's the backstory about where this enjoyment came from. However, this sadism angle never goes anywhere. Ian tells himself/readers constantly that he's a sadist and enjoys watching Drew be in pain...except the actual narrative doesn't reflect that. Ever. In fact, one of the side characters (George) is an actual sadist and the author clearly demonstrates that George's behavior and Ian's behavior are completely different during Drew's torture and afterwards. Not to mention that the Ian-is-a-sadist thing is regularly forgotten about for large chunks of the story before randomly being brought up again. The whole thing felt underdeveloped. Or maybe the author thought a dom-sub dynamic had to include sadism? It was really confusing because the sadism angle could have been removed without any impact on the story, since it was only reflected in a few thoughts that Ian had.
Same for the weirdly forced master-slave dynamic that also came out of nowhere and immediately fizzled out. Drew spends his captivity being forced to wear a metal collar (a slave collar). Nothing is said or done about it until they escape (so the collar is a non-issue for 90% of the story). Then Drew suddenly tells Ian he wants to keep the collar on because he enjoys the idea of being 'owned' by Ian...? Again, this came out nowhere, didn't fit with their relationship dynamic or the rest of the story and it was just so awkwardly out of place. Like the sadism thing, it could and should have been kept out of the story because it wasn't necessary.
Ian Is Very, Very Stupid
I would have given this book at least 4 stars until the midway point. But once we got there, I started getting annoyed with our dear Private Ian Campbell. Because each day, this man is reassuring the love of his life that Ian will save him soon and Drew just has to hang on and endure just one more day of torture because then Ian will put his plan into motion and escape with Drew...only for Ian to not make any plans and have the whole thing repeat the next day...? This wasn't done intentionally. No, Ian spends hours every single day agonizing over how badly Drew is suffering, worried sick that Drew is getting weaker and might die any day and he's very determined that they have to escape. Except...the dear man doesn't actually spend time coming up with an escape plan.
Again - it wasn't that Ian was deliberately trying to keep Drew a captive. It felt like Ian was just so dumb that he couldn't think of an escape plan. At the beginning of the book, he decides that escape has to wait until the militia group reaches Purgatory Mountain. It's never explained why this is and why escaping into the wilderness at Purgatory is so much better than the wilderness where Drew is captured. But even when they get to Purgatory...Ian makes no plans. He wanders around, fretting and obsessing but no plans are made. He hides some stolen supplies in his tent (which is dumb and ends up backfiring) but he can't come up with anything. He wanders around with other side characters, he obsesses over Drew's weakening condition but there's never any concrete plans made.
The point where I got really annoyed was when Drew is literally shaking and crying through the night because he's in such pain and he knows he'll be tortured again the next day. Ian spends the night holding Drew, kissing him and comforting him...BUT IAN DOESN'T SPEND TIME COMING UP WITH A PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO ESCAPE ASAP. And Drew gathers the tiny bit of bravery he has left and he's willing to endure that torture and stay strong because Ian had reassured him that he'll get them out of there. Drew is trusting that Ian is working on saving him and that's why Drew is willing to put himself through such a horrible situation so it felt like a slap in the face that Ian wasn't actually working on saving Drew because he's too dumb.
Seriously, if I had been in Ian's position and I had to witness the love of my life sobbing because he's terrified of the horrendous pain he'll have to endure the next day, I would have grabbed whatever supplies were at hand and escaped into the woods. Personally, I would have stopped to shoot George and Sarge along the way, but that's just me. The funny thing is that Ian makes it seem as if escaping into the woods with barely any supplies would be disastrous...except .
It felt like the author was just doing it stretch out the story but I hated that he made Ian seem so incompetent and dumb as a result. This is in direct contrast to what happens after Ian and Drew escape, . I would have preferred if Ian had come up with plans only for those plans to backfire or fall through at the last moment. That would have maintained the tension and allowed the captivity to continue, but it wouldn't have made Ian seem so incredibly dim-witted.
What especially annoyed me is that the whole escape ended up being a pile of rushed, lazy writing. True to form, Ian has nothing to do with orchestrating the actual escape (the author couldn't spare our little dumb-dumb a few more brain cells so close to the end of the story). By the end, Ian has accepted that he and Drew will be executed because Ian hadn't come up with any plans and has no idea how to save either of them. Thank goodness that a Yankee patrol (aka a plot convenience wearing blue uniforms) show up to fire on the camp right before Ian and Drew's executions, which allows them to escape in the resulting chaos. Really?!?
Unfortunately, Ian's stupidity was present in other parts of the story too. For example, this dumbass constantly tells Drew how much he loves him and how he'll save them both...while speaking at a normal volume in his tiny tent, surrounded by other members of the militia. Not to mention that Ian constantly shows affection towards Drew in full view of other people and talks about their relationship when they aren't alone. And then this dumbass is surprised when other militia members start suspecting that Ian and Drew have something going on?
Minor Issues
There were other small things that annoyed me. Like Ian being one of the very, very few characters in historical romance who wears glasses, except those glasses seemed to only appear when it was convenient. I was also annoyed that the author couldn't be bothered to pay for someone to photoshop a simple pair of 1800s glasses on one of the cover models. I wear glasses so I'm sure this matters more to me than to other people, but there you go.
I also felt the writing quality in the last few chapters wasn't as good. It felt rushed and amateur compared to the beautiful flowing writing in the earlier sections. In particular, some of the dialog felt cheesy while that hadn't been the case earlier. I think the problem is that Drew is finally not gagged near the end so he and Ian can indulge in endless sappy emotional outbursts and love declarations, which they couldn't do earlier. Their romance had been so beautifully built on the notion that actions speak louder than words so it annoyed me that the author defaulted to overly emotional sappiness near the end when it wasn't necessary.
The author's insistence on writing out Drew's speech attempts while gagged also irritated me. I don't want to read things like "Hhhhu-uhhh" in a book geared towards adults. Lastly - maybe it's just me but there are certain adverbs that I don't want to see when a blow job is being described and 'chewing' is very high up on the list of words that I don't want to see. There's a ridiculous sentence where the authors uses half a dozen adverbs to describe what Ian is doing when he has Drew's cock in his mouth but it's very clear the author was rushing and didn't bother making sure that all the words made sense.
But overall, I still highly recommend this if you're a fan of gritty, authentic western historical romances, well done enemies-to-lovers arcs and light dom-sub dynamics.
There was a lot to love about this incredibly intense and beautiful enemies-to-lovers romance featuring soldiers on opposite sides of the Civil War but unfortunately, it was letdown by the unnecessary length, repetition and one of the MC's stupidity being used as an ongoing plot device, which got on my nerves.
Wonderful Historical Accuracy
Even if the author hadn't listed the dozens of books he consulted during his research so he could get even the tiniest details right, it's obvious how much work went into the historical authenticity of this story. Historical details were blended seamlessly into the narrative and readers are given enough historical context to understand what's happening without the author relying on info-dumping.
What I especially loved is that the author didn't try to sanitize anything about the character's situations in order to make the story fall in line with modern contemporary romances. Ian and Drew spend the entire story being filthy, hairy, half-starved and covered in lice. There's a lot of emphasis on their body hair and body odor but I liked that this rugged manliness turned them both on. It was such a refreshing change from the usual portrayal of romance heroes, who usually only have body hair in 'sexy' locations and that hair is always carefully maintained. While the constant repetition of Ian loving Drew's body hair got a bit annoying, it was so nice to read a story set in the 1860s wilderness where the characters actually looked like they were supposed to.
But connected to this, I appreciated that the author didn't turn the character's lack of hygiene into an overly icky situation. Ian always made sure Drew was freshly washed before sexy times happened and there are certain levels of odor that even Ian wasn't willing to tolerate. It felt very realistic and that was one of the book's highlights.
Great Enemies-To-Lovers Progression
I really loved how the author portrayed both characters, their roles in the war and their relationship with each other. Ian is chosen as Drew's caregiver during Drew's captivity so it's Ian's job to keep him alive so the others can keep torturing him as long as they want. As a result, they spend a lot of time together and their relationship starts out understandably antagonistic. They're both in their early 20s and joined the war out of patriotic pride and youthful ignorance. They've spent years absorbing their side's propaganda so both of them are quick to point out the other side's faults but aren't willing to acknowledge their own side's faults. This led to arguments and anger from both sides, which both of them quickly realize isn't helpful for their situation. Drew is a captive being tortured on a daily basis and Ian is torn between his revulsion with what Drew is going through versus his loyalty to his uncle/militia/country etc. Neither of them need the additional stress of arguing with each other when it's clear that they're never going to change each other's minds. So they agree to disagree and decide to focus on giving each other comfort and support instead of stress and anger.
Through this change, they discover that they have a lot in common (both of them being farm boys in their early 20s from very small rural communities and both of them being gay) and this creates the building blocks of their growing relationship. They spend hours talking about life on their farms, the food they miss from home, the battles they both fought in and their past gay sexual experiences. Even though Drew is only kept captive for 2 weeks, I had no trouble believing their growing connection and that they both ended up falling in love with each other over that short span of time.
But I also liked that their attempts to forget about the war and their roles in it didn't work all the time. They wanted to live in a fantasy land where the war never happened but reality keeps intruding when they come across situations where they're forced to confront the past wrongs they've done during the war and how those wrongs have impacted the other person. For example, Ian is forced to shoot any Yankee patrols they come across while Drew is forced to march through the devastated remains of Virginia that he helped burn.
Epic Hurt-Comfort
What I liked most about this book is that it's basically one epic hurt-comfort story from start to finish. The author doesn't shy away from describing the horrific torture and humiliation that Drew is subjected to on a daily basis, including beatings, floggings, being tied up in pain positions for hours, being urinated on and spat on. There was one scene that was almost too much for me and it involved . So yeah, be prepared for graphic torture and injuries.
But thankfully, the author also doesn't spare any details when Ian is comforting Drew and helping him. Ian isn't in a position of power in his tiny militia group so he can't do much to prevent Drew being tortured, but he always looks for ways to ease Drew's suffering. He keeps half his food rations to give to Drew, he tears up his only undershirt to use as bandages for Drew's wounds, he patiently feeds and cleans Drew when Drew's injuries and restraints prevent him from doing it himself and he sneaks outside to hold Drew's hands or briefly cover him with a blanket so he can get a few minutes of warmth. One of my favorite scenes involved Ian staying awake for hours while Drew is kept outside and restrained in a pain position and Ian is just a few feet away in his tent and he reads out loud to Drew for hours to keep him distracted from the pain and misery. Another scene involved Drew only being allowed to eat insect infested hardtack and Ian spends ages soaking the rock hard biscuit in his coffee until the insects have floated out of it and it's softened enough to make it easier for Drew to eat with his injuries. These scenes beautifully demonstrated how much Ian loved Drew and what true love really means.
A Sweet Dom-Sub Dynamic
One of my favorite things is when an author subverts the usual top-bottom or dom-sub dynamic, which is what happened here. Drew is a huge mountain of a man, yet he enjoys being submissive. Ian is half Drew's size and a quiet academic-type who also has strong dominant desires. Ian quickly realizes he loves taking care of Drew and not just because he grows to care for Drew. In particular, Ian likes that Drew often has to be restrained and gagged while they're together because Drew is utterly dependent on Ian for meeting his most basic needs.
Since Drew is the captive in the situation, the scenario could have easily shifted into uncomfortable dub-con territory, but I never felt it did. Ian never takes advantage of Drew's helplessness and he never forced Drew into a submissive situation. It was more a case where Ian felt weirded out by his enjoyment of seeing Drew restrained and gagged and he also enjoyed how helpless this huge man was while in Ian's care. But when it came to Ian's actions, he was always appropriate and didn't take advantage of the situation.
It was actually Drew who wanted to continue being submissive to Ian even when he was strong enough not to depend on Ian for everything, which was a great way to keep the situation from veering into dub-con territory. For example, Ian only hand fed Drew when Drew was forced to stay restrained and couldn't feed himself. But even when Drew's hands were free, he asked Ian to keep feeding him because Drew enjoyed it. Or when Drew asked Ian to gag him even when it was just the two of them so Drew could continue relying on Ian to guess what he needs and bask in Ian's undivided attention as he took care of him. This is in direct contrast to Drew hating that he relies on Ian's help when he has to relieve himself (I'm not talking about sexual relief) because Drew has to stay restrained so he can't use his hands. Unlike Ian feeding him or bathing him, Drew is humiliated whenever Ian has to help him squat and wipe him clean so Ian does his best to get through those situations as quickly and respectfully as possible.
Overall, Ian understood exactly where Drew's boundaries lay and he always respected those boundaries, which was wonderful. It would have been easy for the situation to become weird and inappropriate, but I felt the author did a really great job of portraying a very sweet dom-sub relationship while both people are living through a difficult situation.
Beautiful Writing
It might not be everyone's cup of tea but I really loved the lyrical quality of the writing style. The author used lots of nature metaphors and similes, which wonderfully fit Ian's country-boy background and also the Virginia woodland that the story takes place in. There were also lots of gorgeous descriptions of the natural beauty of their surroundings, which made the writing a joy to read but also created a great contrast with the ugliness of what was happening to Drew.
Everything I've listed above made this story unique and a really great read but unfortunately, there were things that didn't go the way I wanted.
Too Much Repetition
There was no need for this book to be nearly 300 pages. The entire story takes place over 2 weeks and the main plotline is very basic, with the story starting with Drew's capture and ending with Ian and Drew's escape 2 weeks later. While I loved many elements of it, the entire plot was based on a repetitive cycle that eventually got annoying. The cycle of Drew being tortured and Ian taking care of him while promising that they'll escape soon was done over and over again. It didn't help that a lot of the specific scene details were always the same (ex. camping locations, torture methods, available food, Ian loving Drew's body hair etc). Either the story should have been shorter or the author should have included more interesting plot events.
Underdeveloped Sadism And Master-Slave Dynamic
As I said, I really enjoyed the sweet dom-sub dynamic between Drew and Ian. However, I didn't like how the author attempted and failed to shove other BDSM aspects into the story. Throughout the book, Ian keeps thinking about how much he enjoys watching Drew bleeding and being in pain. He's constantly beating himself up about it and there's the backstory about where this enjoyment came from. However, this sadism angle never goes anywhere. Ian tells himself/readers constantly that he's a sadist and enjoys watching Drew be in pain...except the actual narrative doesn't reflect that. Ever. In fact, one of the side characters (George) is an actual sadist and the author clearly demonstrates that George's behavior and Ian's behavior are completely different during Drew's torture and afterwards. Not to mention that the Ian-is-a-sadist thing is regularly forgotten about for large chunks of the story before randomly being brought up again. The whole thing felt underdeveloped. Or maybe the author thought a dom-sub dynamic had to include sadism? It was really confusing because the sadism angle could have been removed without any impact on the story, since it was only reflected in a few thoughts that Ian had.
Same for the weirdly forced master-slave dynamic that also came out of nowhere and immediately fizzled out. Drew spends his captivity being forced to wear a metal collar (a slave collar). Nothing is said or done about it until they escape (so the collar is a non-issue for 90% of the story). Then Drew suddenly tells Ian he wants to keep the collar on because he enjoys the idea of being 'owned' by Ian...? Again, this came out nowhere, didn't fit with their relationship dynamic or the rest of the story and it was just so awkwardly out of place. Like the sadism thing, it could and should have been kept out of the story because it wasn't necessary.
Ian Is Very, Very Stupid
I would have given this book at least 4 stars until the midway point. But once we got there, I started getting annoyed with our dear Private Ian Campbell. Because each day, this man is reassuring the love of his life that Ian will save him soon and Drew just has to hang on and endure just one more day of torture because then Ian will put his plan into motion and escape with Drew...only for Ian to not make any plans and have the whole thing repeat the next day...? This wasn't done intentionally. No, Ian spends hours every single day agonizing over how badly Drew is suffering, worried sick that Drew is getting weaker and might die any day and he's very determined that they have to escape. Except...the dear man doesn't actually spend time coming up with an escape plan.
Again - it wasn't that Ian was deliberately trying to keep Drew a captive. It felt like Ian was just so dumb that he couldn't think of an escape plan. At the beginning of the book, he decides that escape has to wait until the militia group reaches Purgatory Mountain. It's never explained why this is and why escaping into the wilderness at Purgatory is so much better than the wilderness where Drew is captured. But even when they get to Purgatory...Ian makes no plans. He wanders around, fretting and obsessing but no plans are made. He hides some stolen supplies in his tent (which is dumb and ends up backfiring) but he can't come up with anything. He wanders around with other side characters, he obsesses over Drew's weakening condition but there's never any concrete plans made.
The point where I got really annoyed was when Drew is literally shaking and crying through the night because he's in such pain and he knows he'll be tortured again the next day. Ian spends the night holding Drew, kissing him and comforting him...BUT IAN DOESN'T SPEND TIME COMING UP WITH A PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO ESCAPE ASAP. And Drew gathers the tiny bit of bravery he has left and he's willing to endure that torture and stay strong because Ian had reassured him that he'll get them out of there. Drew is trusting that Ian is working on saving him and that's why Drew is willing to put himself through such a horrible situation so it felt like a slap in the face that Ian wasn't actually working on saving Drew because he's too dumb.
Seriously, if I had been in Ian's position and I had to witness the love of my life sobbing because he's terrified of the horrendous pain he'll have to endure the next day, I would have grabbed whatever supplies were at hand and escaped into the woods. Personally, I would have stopped to shoot George and Sarge along the way, but that's just me. The funny thing is that Ian makes it seem as if escaping into the woods with barely any supplies would be disastrous...except .
It felt like the author was just doing it stretch out the story but I hated that he made Ian seem so incompetent and dumb as a result. This is in direct contrast to what happens after Ian and Drew escape, . I would have preferred if Ian had come up with plans only for those plans to backfire or fall through at the last moment. That would have maintained the tension and allowed the captivity to continue, but it wouldn't have made Ian seem so incredibly dim-witted.
What especially annoyed me is that the whole escape ended up being a pile of rushed, lazy writing. True to form, Ian has nothing to do with orchestrating the actual escape (the author couldn't spare our little dumb-dumb a few more brain cells so close to the end of the story). By the end, Ian has accepted that he and Drew will be executed because Ian hadn't come up with any plans and has no idea how to save either of them. Thank goodness that a Yankee patrol (aka a plot convenience wearing blue uniforms) show up to fire on the camp right before Ian and Drew's executions, which allows them to escape in the resulting chaos. Really?!?
Unfortunately, Ian's stupidity was present in other parts of the story too. For example, this dumbass constantly tells Drew how much he loves him and how he'll save them both...while speaking at a normal volume in his tiny tent, surrounded by other members of the militia. Not to mention that Ian constantly shows affection towards Drew in full view of other people and talks about their relationship when they aren't alone. And then this dumbass is surprised when other militia members start suspecting that Ian and Drew have something going on?
Minor Issues
There were other small things that annoyed me. Like Ian being one of the very, very few characters in historical romance who wears glasses, except those glasses seemed to only appear when it was convenient. I was also annoyed that the author couldn't be bothered to pay for someone to photoshop a simple pair of 1800s glasses on one of the cover models. I wear glasses so I'm sure this matters more to me than to other people, but there you go.
I also felt the writing quality in the last few chapters wasn't as good. It felt rushed and amateur compared to the beautiful flowing writing in the earlier sections. In particular, some of the dialog felt cheesy while that hadn't been the case earlier. I think the problem is that Drew is finally not gagged near the end so he and Ian can indulge in endless sappy emotional outbursts and love declarations, which they couldn't do earlier. Their romance had been so beautifully built on the notion that actions speak louder than words so it annoyed me that the author defaulted to overly emotional sappiness near the end when it wasn't necessary.
The author's insistence on writing out Drew's speech attempts while gagged also irritated me. I don't want to read things like "Hhhhu-uhhh" in a book geared towards adults. Lastly - maybe it's just me but there are certain adverbs that I don't want to see when a blow job is being described and 'chewing' is very high up on the list of words that I don't want to see. There's a ridiculous sentence where the authors uses half a dozen adverbs to describe what Ian is doing when he has Drew's cock in his mouth but it's very clear the author was rushing and didn't bother making sure that all the words made sense.
But overall, I still highly recommend this if you're a fan of gritty, authentic western historical romances, well done enemies-to-lovers arcs and light dom-sub dynamics.
Want to read
April 1, 2013I'm not even sure why I'm adding this. But I just did.
March 24, 2016
This book really fried my brain. In a good way. I love feeling speechless and emotionally messed up after reading a book. And this one made a *very* strong impression on me. There were so many terrible, entirely wrong things happening in this book - on 87% I felt like I was about to break, there was just too much abuse, it was unbearable. And at the same time the love between two main characters, Ian and Drew, is so bright, pure and strong. The book really makes you think about the extremes of a human nature, in every way.
For personal reasons I felt particular kinship with Ian. But Drew was so lovable, and them together... after reading the blurb and the tags for this book, I wondered if bdsm is going to stick out like a sore thumb there. But it was amazing how it became a part of their consolation and salvation.
I also loved very much the way the book was written, all the mixture of realistic and symbolic.
For personal reasons I felt particular kinship with Ian. But Drew was so lovable, and them together... after reading the blurb and the tags for this book, I wondered if bdsm is going to stick out like a sore thumb there. But it was amazing how it became a part of their consolation and salvation.
I also loved very much the way the book was written, all the mixture of realistic and symbolic.
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