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Moro's Price

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BDSM LGBT Science Fiction/Fantasy

Cheated out of freedom and destined for lifetime servitude, gladiator and sex slave Moro Dalgleish escapes from a brutal arena. Valier Antonin, a lonely student, is tormented by sadomasochistic urges he's forbidden to indulge. When the two men meet on the skyscraper roof where Moro plans to commit suicide, Valier offers a bargain. Sex with Valier will infect Moro with the sentient symbiont endemic in Valier's part-human race, with death the likely result.

As one of the infection's rare survivors, Moro learns he is now a free Camalian citizen. He's also effectively married to Valier, crown prince of the Camalian Commonwealth. Expecting a shallow encounter with a doomed slave, Valier learns Moro is his Knife, the mate who can stabilize Valier's undisciplined mind, slake his darkest lusts, and make him fit to rule.

Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find BDSM theme and elements, dubious consent, male/male sexual practices, rape, violence. While primarily an m/m story, it contains scenes involving m/f sexual interaction.

Readers with a history of rape or sexual abuse may find elements of this story disturbing.

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2012

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M.C. Hana

3 books11 followers

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5 stars
38 (26%)
4 stars
49 (34%)
3 stars
33 (22%)
2 stars
20 (13%)
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4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Lilia Ford.
Author 15 books197 followers
May 20, 2018
The is a sprawling, epic-y type of book. I loved reading it and couldn’t put it down—in the sense of reading until 3am even though I had to get up at 6am the next (i.e. same) morning. It is not perfect by any means. The delivery of information and backstory especially is not a smooth or graceful process, often taking place in awkwardly placed flashbacks or extended scenes of conversation-as-info-dump. But honestly, I really didn’t care about that since I was fascinated by the whole world and just wanted to find out what happened next.

For a book that can fairly be labeled M/M sci-fi, Moro’s Price contains an awful lot hard sci-fi, or what I like to call “Dune-yada-yada” stuff. (There is also, impressively, a lot of actual science, specifically astronomy here, including amazingly vivid descriptions of celestial bodies). I love any sci-fi, so I didn’t mind, but the casualty (so to speak) was the sex, which was not my favorite part of the book. Part of the fault is in the blurb, which sets us up for a kinky, heavy D/s story—I was expecting something more along the lines of Morgan Hawke's Interstellar Service and Discipline series. The sex is explicit and inventive, but the author drops a lot of hints about the two leads’ affinity for BDSM, which doesn’t ultimately play out in a compelling way: and by compelling I mean, we’re told about it, but I never felt it as any kind of urgent, personal need--for either Moro or Valier. It’s telling that they keep switching roles, or dropping roles and going vanilla, without any apparent angst or warm-up. The most intense sex scenes ended up being the opening one with Mott after the cage fight and the “memories” of Moro’s time with Sardis. Hana seemed torn between whether she wanted the relationship with Sardis to be the usual traumatic tragi-boy stuff or something more ambivalent—and erotic. Even with Valier, I felt she pulled her punches or lost her nerve, and allowed the story to be hijacked by the Dune/cosmos at war stuff--not that that part was bad, but it made for a far more traditional hard sci-fi read than I was expecting.

Bottom line: this book boasts a fantastically complex sci-fi universe, with a host of intriguing characters and races, a charismatic villain, plenty of action and unusually rich and lovely descriptions of stars and galaxies. I will definitely keep an eye out for any sequels or other books by this author.
Profile Image for Emma Sea.
2,214 reviews1,228 followers
July 31, 2012
This is an ambitious book, that didn't quite work for me. It's primarily a space-opera, with gay sex. And het sex. Whereas I am looking primarily for an m/m romance, and I like some plot as a side dish to my gay love story. So you can see immediately the disconnect there.

This is not sci fi. It's fantasy that happens to be set in space. The plot is a McGuffin hunt, and has a lot of characters. And several species. There was much planning and scheming. I'm really not looking for that in my fiction. I want just two things (or a combination thereof): simple romance with hot sex (D/s a bonus) OR an interesting analysis of cultural concepts i.e. slavery, love, marriage etc. Just throw lots of plot at the page and it bores me.

The central relationship was fairly satisfying. In fact, a lot of my dream elements are in the book:

Sex slave gladiator? Check.
Said gladiator forced to sexually submit to anyone who defeats him? Check.
Evil villian who forces the MC to have sex with others under mind control? Check.
Undercover prince taking gladiator away from all of this? Check.
Biological true mates swearing to be together until death? Check.
True mates kinda into rough sex and D/s? Check.

I just wish we had more of it. I became highly annoyed with endless sub-plots and wanted to get back to my boys. I really strugled to finish: it ended up a grit-my-teeth-and-push-through issue. I can see a book 2 in the offing, in which I would hope the MCs spend more than 24 hours together. I would have trimmed all the extraneous stuff away and concentrated on the MCs and actually developed their relationship.

Others may enjoy this more, but it's a miss for me.

P.S. Kiwi trivia of the day. One of our most beloved confectionary items is the Moro Bar, like a Mars Bar but far more solid in texture. So when I read the title Moro's Price, I think to myself "About two bucks."
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,090 reviews518 followers
June 28, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars


There is so much to talk about with this story, and so much of the story I can’t easily talk about. Not without giving things away. So trust me when I say that this is an amazing book. However, this is a dark and violent book with adult subject matter and may not be for everyone. Warnings include: Rape, slavery, sadism, masochism, torture, incest, voyeurism, possession, and mutilation. This is not a light and happy book, but — for those who are willing to take the plunge — it is wonderfully written with lovely characters, a convincing villain, amazing aliens, and a fitting ending. However, I’m aware that not everyone shares my tastes, so be warned. Dark subject matter ahead.

So, that said: I love Val and Moro! Val is a firecracker. He’s so confident and so sure of himself that he’s almost annoying, but he has a good heart underneath it. Part of the strength (and obnoxiousness) of his character is due to his royal lineage. As a prince of the Camalites he has the strongest bond to Cama — an alien symbiote who needs her people to live — and can actually have conversations with her. What Cama feels, her people feel. When she’s happy, so are they. But … when Cama is scared, or angry, or hurt, her people also feel it. And the stronger her emotions, the more they feel, and the more overwhelmed they become. Val has to have the mental and emotional resilience to be able to feel what Cama feels and not be overwhelmed by it, to take all of her distress and pain on himself to spare his people.

Moro has been carefully broken, bit by bit, to keep him on the edge of despair without ever tipping over it. Sardis has been calculated in every viciousness he inflicted upon Moro because he has a use for him. The collar he wears forces him to feel arousal when it’s used, which is a cruelty that only adds to the many rapes and abuses he’s endured over the years. But when Val removes the collar, Moro is finally able to feel his own pain, and his own desire. Moro isn’t an emotional masochist, and Val isn’t an emotional sadist — unlike Sardis. Their physical needs are well matched, but it’s the strength of their wills and personalities and emotional connection that brings them together. I enjoyed them separately, and loved them as a couple. Val may be less experienced and slightly younger in age, but this is by no means an unequal relationship.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.


Profile Image for ⚣Michaelle⚣.
3,662 reviews233 followers
August 19, 2019
So...

I liked it, but I can't say I loved it. The story was too convoluted for me to follow well with all the characters, factions, aliens entities & their hosts on top of the politics & intrigue & scheming, so I found myself often re-reading sections (which slowed down the whole progress, frustrating me to no end).

There are some elements of D/s but I wouldn't say this is a BDSM read. One initial scene of non-con as well as several flashback memories and one really interesting instance of pseudo-incest. (The perv in me would have liked more on that, what can I say?) Also, besides the MCs, there were lots of pairings, sometimes triads if you count the alien/host thing...all sorts of relationships. FF, MM, MF, MFF, MMF...you name it I think there's some hint of it here.

I did really like the concept of body-riding, and wish that had been more developed - or at least the main concept. (With the tech, not the aliens inhabiting hosts willy-nilly.)
Profile Image for Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews.
1,206 reviews43 followers
August 1, 2012
4 1/2 Hearts

First Published at MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Moro is a bonded gladiator and believes that he has two more years before he can be free again. But, he finds out the truth… he still belongs to his previous master, the man who destroyed his world and ruined his life. But, Moro won’t go back to that monster and plans his suicide. Valier is the crown prince of the Camalian Commonwealth and is fighting off assassins when Moro stumbles across him, Moro saves his life so Valier offers Moro a way out, one night of sex where he will be infected with the sentient symbiont endemic, which will either lead to Moro’s death or his complete freedom.

Whoop, okay boys and girls this is a little gem if you love your sci-fi with fantasy and some good old space opera, along with a good dose of abuse and angst. Moro is an abused slave or a ‘bonded gladiator’. He has no control over his life and is holding on to the promise of being released in two years… he is betrayed. He was only loaned out and now his previous owner wants him back, but Moro would rather die than be placed in those hands again. Valier is a crown prince who ends up rescuing Moro, after Moro saves his life and it takes them on a new journey of discovery as they are a perfect match for each other. And secrets from Moro’s past finally emerge which place them both in danger, as long forgotten beings return and make their presence felt.

There is a hell of a lot going on in this story, but every bit is very well-connected, there is in-depth plotting and planning that go back years. Lots of scheming from characters, some twists and turns and several species involved. The story moves smoothly along and you get dragged in as you work out who is against whom and who is plotting what. You try to figure out who is a good guy and who is a spy. There are scenes that are pretty grim and gruesome, scenes that are distressing and scenes that are really freaking hot.

Now, there is one full on sex scene of m/f ,but it is actually in a kind of dream bubble thingie when Moro meets Cama (symbiont) and I just put it down to a necessary evil. The sex between Moro and Valier is very hot and has a lot of mild bondage. I am sure that if there is a next book then they would be into more of the hard-core stuff, but because of Moro’s long term suffering Valier goes very easy on him and gentles what he really wants. This is a very intriguing storyline as more characters become involved and more species turn up, the descriptions are really well done and the world building was fascinating and we learn more and more the further into the book we delve.

Now, seriously if you are into space-opera, science fiction, fantasy, hot men, damaged men, intriguing characters and species (that can suck up worlds), angst, danger, plotting and planning, with some really hot sex, then you need to read this book because it is a little gem. P.S. Fingers crossed for more from Moro and Valier.
Profile Image for The Novel Approach.
3,094 reviews137 followers
July 15, 2017
~ 2.5 Stars ~

I’ve had this book in my TBR pile for years, so imagine my surprise when it popped up as a new title on NineStar Press’s coming soon page!

We start out in the company of Mateo DaSilva, cousin to one of the fighters in the match he and his friend Valier Antonin ne’Cama have traveled a long way to see. Val is our point of view character, but I was more drawn to Mateo, who has a fatal infatuation with Val. I say fatal, because Val has a symbiote which ‘infects’ his body, making his bodily fluids lethal to anyone who comes in direct contact with them. Val’s family is wealthy beyond measure, but at the same time he and his species are treated as lepers because of this ‘ailment’, which gives Val a strange combination of innocence and commanding arrogance.

Through the back and forth between Mateo and Val, we find out Val has a damning secret. Even though his race is supposed to abhor violence, and he somehow convinces Mateo he feels the same, Val is actually helplessly attracted to sadism, and he lusts after Moro, The Diamond, one of the other fighters in the match. That’s a horrible thing to want, considering his species, and there are implications: part of Val’s desire may be linked to his species’ symbiote, which has a shared consciousness.

By these first few chapters, it’s clear there is an incredible breadth to the world, and we are painted a beautiful picture of the drama. The description was also intoxicating. I could feel the alien planet air on my skin and smell the stink of mixed alien races and the horrifying alcoholic concoctions they consumed, on their breath, as they watched the fighting match. I loved those details.

While it was clear early on something was going to happen with Val and Moro, I was a bit miffed to find Mateo stopped being a main character. There were a lot of people to keep track of, in general, and I questioned the presence of most of them throughout reading. Not only that, but the D/s relationship that was intensely hinted at in the blurb and in the beginning of the story, wasn’t really a thing. The sex didn’t reveal much of Val’s inner workings, and the way Moro and Val clicked romantically didn’t create meaning to their inner conflicts. I wondered many times if they were truly acting as themselves, or the author was trying too hard to lead them through the plot. All in all, it was disappointing.

Considering it’s been years since I vetted the title, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to discover my tastes have changed drastically. I’ll call out my own bias in that I don’t seek out slave fic anymore, especially not if it’s an erotica or romance title, and while only the preliminary plot of this novel deals with Moro being a slave, it was enough to put me off the story early on.

I also prefer more concise works, with fewer points of view. This was a sprawling science fiction epic that clumsily muddled through backstory, info dumps, and had too many characters. The story I fell in love with in the beginning was not the story I ended up with throughout.

If you like science fiction worlds pregnant with detail, you may want to consider this. Also, besides forced bonding, there’s a strong theme of insta-love, an unusual mix of non-romantic and romantic elements many may find attractive. I wouldn’t call this a BDSM story, so I’d caution anyone who was looking for those elements in this work.

Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach
Profile Image for Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog.
332 reviews136 followers
June 15, 2013
Moro’s Price
By MC Hana
ARC offered by author after hosting Anna Zabo
5/12/13 – 5/28/13
~ ~ ~

This is one wild and very deep ride. I love a good sci-fi and this delivered, but I have to say it was almost a physical workout to read. It kept me on my toes and surprised me every time I thought things would settle a bit. The enormous multi-universe and it’s intertwined political entities was fascinating. How the author saw through it all, to bring it together in the end, is astounding.

Within you’ll find vast political intrigue, manipulations everywhere and a tender, gentle and ruthlessly sexy love story.

THE CHARACTERS

Moro Dalgleish - Raised in a orphanage, bonded slave, and a total wild-card. He’s been betrayed at almost every turn, but finds he has advocates he never knew of.

”No, damn you,” hissed Val, lifting the remote from Moro’s limp hand. “Look at me while I kill you.”

The command shocked Moro out of numb acceptance. He couldn’t look away from Val’s wild, tear-hazed eyes.


Val Antonin ne’CAma - Heir to the Camalian throne, Crown Prince of the Commonweath he marries Moro in a rash, juvenile moment.

THE STORY

Moro is a bonded slave fighting to earn his freedom. When he learns that he will be returning to his former master instead of gaining his freeman status he chooses suicide. During his initial attempt he comes across Val who has been pursued by assassins. Moro and Val aid each other in an escape attempt and find they have more to offer each other.

There are some pretty big leaps to some pretty strong emotions in the romance, but later the connection and reason become more clear. I felt I had to go with it for a bit, but it works ultimately.

The race to outrun multiple entities; enemy and ally both, allows Moro and Val to begin a relationship just in time to be pulled apart by much bigger threats. It’s a crazy, twisted, deep, intense read with love at it’s core.

THE WRITING

I don’t think I can even begin to describe the hugeness of the universe MC Hana has created here. The visual descriptions of some of the planetary and universe forms is gorgeous. The creative characters are quite unique. The world building is very clear, but the character vastness is mind-boggling. Everyone seems to have two or more identities, nicknames or racial connection. Which was really tough for me to keep straight. In fact, I didn’t keep it straight, but in the end it did seem to work it self out well enough that I’d like to see the story continue.

I would suggest clearing your head, paying attention to details and hanging on for the ride.

~ ~ ~

I would like to thank M.C. Hana and Loose Id, LLC for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

~ ~ ~

Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:

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http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com


Profile Image for Tamela.
1,828 reviews27 followers
October 5, 2012
I liked the story and Val and Moro. But it started to get a little convoluted when you have so many different factions all rolling round and then different loyalties within the factions. I finally skimmed some of the end because I wanted to hear the final scenes of the love story and all I was getting was a political treatise on who was going to do what.

And I totally hated the men on the cover since they really didn't look like I pictured them. Val and Moro both had long hair but the pic didn't and I didn't find either of the men that attractive. I must have really not liked this cover since this is th first time I've reviewed the cover of a book in all my reviews.

I enjoyed the story but be prepared to have to take notes on the plot side.
Profile Image for Tamarrion Lash.
327 reviews34 followers
September 13, 2012
В метро с утра открыла почитать книжечку с нон-кончиком. Обещали всего лишь изнасилованную няшечку, проданную в гладиаторское рабство на потеху толпе и читателям. А там, а там!!! А там оказалась роскошная спейс-опера, с хитро заподвывернутым сюжетом, клонами, злодейскими докторами, омерзительными, но умными антагонистами, говорящими черными дырами, пожирающими планеты, богиней-симбионтом целой расы, а также звиздецом всегалактического масштаба. Ну и с изнасилованной няшечкой, а как же. В общем, "Вас обманули. Вам продали гораздо лучший мех!".
Сила, аффтар, пешите истчо, а я вас буду несказанно обожать.
Весь день на работе прошел, строго говоря, без работы :)

Отдельно удивлена низкому рейтингу на этом сайте.
Profile Image for E.M. Hamill.
Author 13 books102 followers
July 4, 2017
The cover made me want to read this!

Moro and Val...wow. Just wow. *fans self* These two vacillate from being adorable together to smoking hot. Free from his mental and physical chains, Moro just gets more and more sexy.

There are many scenes that are triggering due to extreme violence and rape, and some of them I had to skim because the writer pulls no punches here. It's ugly and brutal, as it should be. I'm not qualified to review BDSM due to cluelessness, lol. But I met my new hate-him-so-much-he-needs-to-die-a-slow-painful-death villain in Lyton Sardis. What a bastard.

But I fully enjoyed the sci-fi story in between that tied it all together. The world the author created was exciting and complicated--I can't say I understood absolutely everything that was happening at all times, but it was a hell of a ride.

I love the idea of the Camalians and their symbiotic partnership, and can honestly say I've never read a book where people's body fluids--and I mean ALL of them--spontaneously combust! I adore the Knife and Shield triad relationships the royal family has.

For folks who love this genre, it's a book that should be on your to-read list.


Profile Image for Qin.
537 reviews45 followers
March 5, 2020
For all the brilliantly detailed mythography Mrs Hana gave us and the highly elaborate and original universe she fills with it, this book scarcely allows itself to be read, thereby incurring a low mark. First of all, the bright colors Mrs Hana paints with are actually all smoke and mirrors, or, to be more specifics, mere words void of reality, pretentious talk with no substance; for indeed nothing is ever made transparent and clear-cut as to the point there was behind the creation and collocation and mannerisms of so many various species of beings, the particulars of their interactions, and the raison d'être of the large-scale social structures they are subsumed under, beyond the little the glossary at the back of the book sees fit to disclaim in telegraphic style. To quote Brandilyn (review of J.J. Lore's The Essent Quest), "when a story takes place in a world entirely foreign to my own, I expect to be immersed in that world. I need that world complete. I need my unasked questions answered". Secondly, instead of an organic whole organized in harmonious fashion with introductory chapters, a middle tapering into the mandatory apex, and a sharply defined ending, Moro's Price presents us with a loosely connected, barely harmonized together series of almost independent story arks (all of them rather awkwardly handled through multiple POVs) that amount to a maze in which one easily loses sight of the Ariadne's thread. The extent to which the author struggled with her materials is seen in the sheer disconnect between the first two chapters, none of which makes thematic or narrative sense separately yet are so muddled and so allusively written by assuming far too much from the reader that, inter alia, the action left hanging at the end of chapter one is neither resumed nor resolved off page in the following one but brushed aside nonchalantly in favor of other things. In narratological terms, this is disaster plain and simple, by downright technical incompetence ; why on earth, for Chrissakes, chose an incipit that throws the reader in medias res if you do nothing with this pattern beyond it providing a snappy, pithy beginning, and are not bothered neither to explain the specifics of the universe nor to launch the tale by focusing on the major plot line? The entire book exhibits this actual level of carelessness and bad organization, if not worse (happenings that make no sense in their wider context are almost routine). This went a long way towards driving me off the walls every time another parallel plot usurps the place due to the main pairing and the lot they have on their plates (even though I did not form any bond with Whiny and Pussyfoot; Diamond in my humble opinion should have been paired with Jason, as per the first chapter, instead of pawned off to Jason's cousin and so-called prince).
Profile Image for Absynthe.
432 reviews5 followers
October 30, 2012
The biggest mystery about this book is why it's not rated higher. This is a gorgeous, complex, sweeping space opera. I loved the world building, the balance of tremendously powerful beings hobbled so they're not omnipotent and yet involved in mortal affairs. The several different species, political systems and balances of power were intricate and well thought out. The characters were fascinating and the sex hot! I loved this book!

There are authors who produce word vomit every 2 weeks adding the 25th book to a series of complete crap that are rated higher than this book and that seems a criminal shame.
Profile Image for M. Corvidae.
Author 1 book11 followers
February 23, 2015
Expansive, thoughtful sci-fi world-building combined with a fast-moving plot and a smoking hot romance, this book hit all the right buttons. When I started out reading it, I was reminded a bit of reading Dune - lots of dense information about a world that's almost completely new and alien, but centered around compelling characters that keep me interested. Once it all comes into focus the effect is fantastic. And there's a dark edge to some of the smut that I really loved. I'm very much looking forward to reading more books set in this world. YUM.
Profile Image for Yblees.
255 reviews21 followers
February 12, 2014
I find it hard to write a review about this because some parts or the story, plot and world building were utterly amazing. But some parts just didn't click. And to this day, I can't figure out why.
Profile Image for Seregil.
740 reviews4 followers
July 30, 2018
Interesting and complex plot, but -1 stars because it's so difficult to follow, in particular in the first part. For example, it was quite confusing until I figured out the "Sero" and "Sera" weren't family names, but were instead "Sir/Mr." and "Miss/Mrs.". I was glad I got past the first chapters and started to understand what was going on.
Profile Image for Rebecca Lewis.
6 reviews1 follower
May 12, 2017
I fell in love with Moro and his Prince , and I'm waiting for the next installment in the story .
Profile Image for Free_dreamer.
365 reviews29 followers
July 19, 2017
Review @Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Okay, first of all you should be aware that this story is full of tiggers. There's lots of violence, rape, brainwashing, torture and suicidal thoughts, amongst others. If you're easily triggered, stay away from this book. It's incredibly dark.

Now, I have a thing for slave stories and it's no big secret I love SciFi. "Moro's Price" was an excellent combination of both. The world Moro and Val live in is very dark and complex. I liked the world the author created, even though it could have used a bit more worldbuilding. A hastily thrown together glossary at the end is NOT enough. The author does mention that there are more books set in this universe, which apparently have more world building. If I can ever find those books, I'm definitely interested.

I immediately found myself rooting for Moro. He's suffered through incredible things and still there's a strength in him. He's not completely broken. Sometimes, his recovery around Val seemed a bit too fast and also a bit inconsistent, though. But I guess that's kind of to be expected. His new situation isn't exactly easy.

Val is a bit obnoxious at times. He's cocky and arrogant, which has a lot to do with his royal heritage. But most of the time he just made for an interesting contrast to Moro.

The sex scenes were hot. Val is a sadist at heart, though he doesn't live it out too much with Moro. Both Val and Moro have a strong bond to Cama, the godess of Val's people. It's a bit like there are two minds living inside Val. There's one sex scene between Moro and Cama, but it's not overly explicit. The sex scenes between Val and Moro and the scenes of Moro being raped are much more explicit.

Aside from the slightly lacking worldbuilding, which left me a bit confused at times, the SciFi plot was intriguing. There's lots of potential and I seriously hope there'll be a second book in this series.

Honestly, if you like dark SciFi slave stories, then you should definitely give this a try. Just don't expect a light, easy read!

Cover: The cover by Natasha Snow is gorgeous. The beautiful nebulae make it very memorable. Well done!
Profile Image for Alison.
328 reviews14 followers
August 4, 2017
Pages: Long Novel (99,906 words)
POV: Third Person (limited)
Rating: 5 Kisses—Loved it. You loved the book and would highly recommend it.

“Moro’s Price” is a fast paced action romance. Emotions and motivations from the main characters are clear and the characters solid but intricate. And the world building is brilliant.

Set in the far distant future when humankind have spread across the stars, this novel features intrigue, desperation, and more than two different societies. Dogleash (Moro) has been a bond slave for nearly a decade, although he was born and raised a free person. Used and abused, he reluctantly fought in blood sports where the winner either gets the loser’s money or body. At the end of his tether, Dogleash takes the opportunity supplied to get to the roof of the casino, intending suicide. Only to find an attractive young man fighting two men bigger and bulkier than himself.

Drawn by the unfairness of the fight, even though his chance to suicide is slipping away, Dogleash rescues the young man and is offered an opportunity that will either make him a free man or ensure he is unable to be resurrected (it has been done after previous suicides). Either way, it is a way out. Expecting to die after a night of pleasure, instead he survives.

I have a lot of favourite bits, but I think the part that sticks out the most for me is when an ultimatum give to humans by the Camalians 2500 years ago is described. I absolutely loved it.

I would recommend this story for anyone who loves action, intrigue, science fiction, or drama. Although there are BDSM elements, I think someone who didn’t really like BDSM would still love it because the harshest BDSM elements are a part of Moro’s slavery and what happens between Moro and Valier is more like kinky play between two equals. Definitely a must read, but be aware there are elements of rape, forced seduction, violence and, on one occasion, a brief (very brief) flyover of hetero intercourse.

I haven’t read anything else by this author, but I want to. Immediately after reading this book, I started my computer and went looking, even though it was three in the morning. I will most definitely be keeping “Moro’s Price” on my ereader and revisiting it regularly. Well done, M.C. Hana! Oh, and could we pretty please have a sequel?
Profile Image for E..
2,043 reviews20 followers
October 16, 2017
I was delighted to discover that this story had been re-released, with a bit of tweaking. I confess that, although some things are described in richer detail, I didn’t notice any major changes. I am still enthralled by the story and anxious to see further developments in this striking couple’s lives as well as other stories set in this very intriguing universe.

My review of the previous version:

“Moro’s Price” by MC Hana is the darkly erotic m/m science fiction story that features Moro Dagliesh, a tortured man who has been subjected to the sadistic machinations of two different masters. A desperate attempt to escape his torment results in his becoming embroiled with a seductive individual named Val who promises his release through an entity named Cama, who will either destroy him or secure his safety. Unfortunately, there are more forces at play than just the readily visible ones and not only Moro’s survival but that of entire planets may be at stake in an intricate game whose rules are only known to a few elite beings.

This mesmerizing novella is a fantastic combination of science fiction and sensuality which explores the dark seduction of pain and pleasure. The remarkable combination of fantastical beings and imaginative worlds and situations are blended together in a very compelling tale that provides both a very spicy read and a wonderful romance. There are plenty of twists and turns as more and more charismatic beings are introduced and the highs and lows give one the sensation of a roller-coaster ride even as one roots for Moro to have a life free from the torment that he has been experiencing for so long. Be warned, there are pretty intense and disturbing sexual situations but these become overshadowed by the fascinating developments as more and more conflicts are revealed. This tale reminds me of the dark erotic fantasy ‘Kushiel” series by Jacqueline Carey which was just as mesmerizing and every time I browse through “Moro’s Price” to check a detail, I am again captured in the spell of Moro and Val’s story. There are so many intriguing threads that I am hopeful that there will be many more sequels because even though this story had a satisfying ending, I want to know more about all of these characters and I will definitely be on the lookout for other works by this very talented author.


Profile Image for E..
2,043 reviews20 followers
May 30, 2014

“Moro’s Price” by MC Hana is the darkly erotic m/m science fiction story that features Moro Dagliesh, a tortured man who has been subjected to the sadistic machinations of two different masters. A desperate attempt to escape his torment results in his becoming embroiled with a seductive individual named Val who promises his release through an entity named Cama, who will either destroy him or secure his safety. Unfortunately, there are more forces at play than just the readily visible ones and not only Moro’s survival but that of entire planets may be at stake in an intricate game whose rules are only known to a few elite beings.

This mesmerizing novella is a fantastic combination of science fiction and sensuality which explores the dark seduction of pain and pleasure. The remarkable combination of fantastical beings and imaginative worlds and situations are blended together in a very compelling tale that provides both a very spicy read and a wonderful romance. There are plenty of twists and turns as more and more charismatic beings are introduced and the highs and lows give one the sensation of a roller-coaster ride even as one roots for Moro to have a life free from the torment that he has been experiencing for so long. Be warned, there are pretty intense and disturbing sexual situations but these become overshadowed by the fascinating developments as more and more conflicts are revealed. This tale reminds me of the dark erotic fantasy ‘Kushiel” series by Jacqueline Carey which was just as mesmerizing and every time I browse through “Moro’s Price” to check a detail, I am again captured in the spell of Moro and Val’s story. There are so many intriguing threads that I am hopeful that there will be many more sequels because even though this story had a satisfying ending, I want to know more about all of these characters and I will definitely be on the lookout for other works by this very talented author.


© Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Nana.
126 reviews1 follower
Currently reading
July 28, 2015
Oh well. A long multi-pov book. Not what I usually like, however this one captivated me so far. At first I resented it and wished for just the MC's povs, but the story and amazing character development so far...Moro for instance just featured several aspects of his personality(ies) and how he's risened from his tramas, the process from 'before' to 'after' was what I was actually seaching for in Finding Zack by Rowan Speedwell(Which unfortunately showed the state of the MC before and after the treatment but never the process between)
I hope finish ASAP!
Profile Image for Jie Hao.
106 reviews
January 17, 2017
01-17-17
Truthfully, the fifth time's reading is definitely not as exciting as the first time now. Especially with how much I hate Sardis. Moro and Val are my favorite characters in the whole book. I wished I could read more of it, that's why I pray there may be a sequel the first time when I read this book. You have no idea how sad I was when I found out this not a series book. It truly is sad. I wish to know more about Moro and Val especially with Val taking care of Moro who has been hurt so much. Sonta's trial for Val to gain the claim on Moro is also really interesting and I wish the possible sequel may go from there. Val's darkness would also be great to know more about. Nonetheless, I don't love this book less than other my favorite books. I can't wait to see more from M.C. Hana
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Amber.
1,294 reviews33 followers
May 2, 2018
If I had to sum this up in one word it would be complex. I honestly think I will have to read this again at some point just to pick up the things that I missed. This book has a huge web of characters with alot of political or factions vying with each other. There is as some dub/non consent sex rolling around with the BDSM elements of the book. At the heart of it there is Valier and Moro. I can't say their relationship was built on a stable base it was a insta-lust almost shifter/mate type. But I was always eager to see them together. If the book has one glaring fault is that I felt there should have been more time spent with them together. At least a nice epilogue.
Profile Image for Ann.
Author 1 book96 followers
November 12, 2012
Sweeping space opera with political intrigue and hot sex. If you're looking for an erotic romance with extra reading meat, this is certainly a worthwhile book.

Heck, if you're looking for a sweeping space opera with grit that doesn't shy away from sex and sexuality, this is the book.

I enjoyed it very much.
Profile Image for Lada.
865 reviews10 followers
July 30, 2018
I persevered reading this long story thinking that it would get better, but it didn't. It's a waste of time reading this story with a plot that's supposedly to be complex but just annoying instead and characters that are too wimpy.
Profile Image for Tiamat.
Author 12 books13 followers
January 31, 2017
Read too long ago to say something coherent now, but I liked it - or rather, liked the universe, all the possibilities and details that were left behind the scenes. The main characters and their story is the least interesting part of this book XD
Profile Image for Kiara.
69 reviews8 followers
August 23, 2017
Well... I really enjoyed this one ;) I have a thing for slave stories and I love SciFi, so this is definetly an excellent combination of both. For folks who love this genre and a touch of dark, here's a book that should be on your to-read list.
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