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Golden Collar #1
Choices
Born and raised a gypsy in the late eleventh century, Teman values freedom over everything. He and his best friend, Jasim, are thieves for hire—until one night they’re caught and their precious freedom is revoked. Given the choice between the dungeons or palace pleasure slavery, they become slaves, but Teman vows to escape someday.
Bathasar doesn’t want the throne. He supports his brother instead, which suits their sadistic father, Mukesh. When Teman, the handsome slave Bathasar has secretly been watching, saves his life, Bathasar requests a slave for the first time. Before long, Bathasar and Teman fall in love. But all is not well. One day Mukesh brutalizes Teman before the court, angering the empress of a neighboring nation. To appease her, he then offers her Jasim as a gift, and Teman decides to stay with Bathasar for now—despite the abuse he may suffer.
The peace doesn’t last. Mukesh plans to invade Jasim’s new country, and Bathasar must find a way to stop the destruction. But if he succeeds, he’ll ascend to the throne and have the power to grant Teman his liberty. Then Teman will surely leave him. What other choice could a gypsy make?
Bathasar doesn’t want the throne. He supports his brother instead, which suits their sadistic father, Mukesh. When Teman, the handsome slave Bathasar has secretly been watching, saves his life, Bathasar requests a slave for the first time. Before long, Bathasar and Teman fall in love. But all is not well. One day Mukesh brutalizes Teman before the court, angering the empress of a neighboring nation. To appease her, he then offers her Jasim as a gift, and Teman decides to stay with Bathasar for now—despite the abuse he may suffer.
The peace doesn’t last. Mukesh plans to invade Jasim’s new country, and Bathasar must find a way to stop the destruction. But if he succeeds, he’ll ascend to the throne and have the power to grant Teman his liberty. Then Teman will surely leave him. What other choice could a gypsy make?
380 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2013
20 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Grace R. Duncan
34 books251 followersGrace Duncan grew up with a wild imagination. She told stories from an early age - many of which got her into trouble. Eventually, she learned to channel that imagination into less troublesome areas, including fanfiction, which is what has led her to writing male/male erotica.
A gypsy in her own right, Grace has lived all over the United States. She has currently set up camp in East Texas with her husband and children - both the human and furry kind.
As one of those rare creatures who loves research, Grace can get lost for hours on the internet, reading up on any number of strange and different topics. She can also be found writing fanfiction, reading fantasy, crime, suspense, romance and other erotica or even dabbling in art.
A gypsy in her own right, Grace has lived all over the United States. She has currently set up camp in East Texas with her husband and children - both the human and furry kind.
As one of those rare creatures who loves research, Grace can get lost for hours on the internet, reading up on any number of strange and different topics. She can also be found writing fanfiction, reading fantasy, crime, suspense, romance and other erotica or even dabbling in art.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
April 24, 2013
Lots and lots and lots and lots of sex. And a teeeny tiny plot.
Duncan has a thing for orgasm denial:
"Every night, I will tease you and work you. Then I will take you and fill you with my cum. And when it is over, I will leave your lovely cock unsatisfied. Each day, on our rest breaks, I will feed you myself and play with you until your cock is filling the cage completely and straining against it. And if I am feeling particularly wicked, I’ll even remove the cage now and again and have you stroke yourself for me.”
Also much (seriously, MUCH) sex-slave training, painting of nipples with exotic dipping sauces, bathing, oiling, and donning of various cock cages, clover clamps, penis plugs, butt plugs . . . ugh, it never ended. I was gagging for some conflict.
Rarely have I been so completely bored by a book. And boy, am I over reading about edging.
At the conclusion of the story I actually groaned aloud when I realised I had one more sex scene to go. I'm amazed I finished it, although I did skim a lot of sex scenes (i.e. vast swathes of the book).
I wasn't happy to find questionably racist descriptions:
The setting is vaguely Thief of Bagdhad/Thousand and One Nights-ish Middle Eastern.
Mukesh = big bad
Bathasar = our hero
"Bathasar had long, thick black hair, pale skin, and dark-gray eyes. Mukesh, of course, was the exact opposite. He kept his own coarse black hair cut short. His skin was the dark olive of their people, and the eyes that bore into him were black as midnight."
So the good guy has pale skin and the bad guy has olive skin? And coarse hair? That's seeming pretty dubious to me. Am I oversensitive since the whole Revealing Eden debacle?
The writing style is very . . . young: you know those novels we write in high school and wisely decide never to allow to see the light of day?
Example: You can't just tell us how the characters feel. Teman is supposedly longing for freedom, so that at the end of the story the conflict (yay, conflict!) hinges on the fact that . But there is not one single action in the entire story that indicates Teman isn't happy as a slave. There are 27 references to Teman thinking "oh, hey, yeah, I have to plan an escape" but no actual plans, you understand. Or thoughts of home. Or anything that suggests Teman actually wants to leave.
That's because, as Bathasar so insightfully points out to him, "As I am aware . . . your mind and focus is almost entirely on sex."
Also this:
"A moment later, however, Teman was distracted when the spicy sauce used for the meats was painted onto his nipples, bringing a gasp from his lips as the spices reacted to his sensitive flesh. Said nipples hardened nearly instantly, causing a low moan."
Lol @ "said nipples."
On the plus side, "mewling" count = 0, "Baby" count = 0
However:
"nipples" = 74
"oil" = 66
"sac" = 34
"balls" = 99 (!)
"cock/s" = a nicely even 100
Possibly if you just wanted to read a lot of tender love scenes between a sex slave and loving master this would be just the ticket.
Not for me.
1.5 stars rounded up.
Duncan has a thing for orgasm denial:
"Every night, I will tease you and work you. Then I will take you and fill you with my cum. And when it is over, I will leave your lovely cock unsatisfied. Each day, on our rest breaks, I will feed you myself and play with you until your cock is filling the cage completely and straining against it. And if I am feeling particularly wicked, I’ll even remove the cage now and again and have you stroke yourself for me.”
Also much (seriously, MUCH) sex-slave training, painting of nipples with exotic dipping sauces, bathing, oiling, and donning of various cock cages, clover clamps, penis plugs, butt plugs . . . ugh, it never ended. I was gagging for some conflict.
Rarely have I been so completely bored by a book. And boy, am I over reading about edging.
At the conclusion of the story I actually groaned aloud when I realised I had one more sex scene to go. I'm amazed I finished it, although I did skim a lot of sex scenes (i.e. vast swathes of the book).
I wasn't happy to find questionably racist descriptions:
The setting is vaguely Thief of Bagdhad/Thousand and One Nights-ish Middle Eastern.
Mukesh = big bad
Bathasar = our hero
"Bathasar had long, thick black hair, pale skin, and dark-gray eyes. Mukesh, of course, was the exact opposite. He kept his own coarse black hair cut short. His skin was the dark olive of their people, and the eyes that bore into him were black as midnight."
So the good guy has pale skin and the bad guy has olive skin? And coarse hair? That's seeming pretty dubious to me. Am I oversensitive since the whole Revealing Eden debacle?
The writing style is very . . . young: you know those novels we write in high school and wisely decide never to allow to see the light of day?
Example: You can't just tell us how the characters feel. Teman is supposedly longing for freedom, so that at the end of the story the conflict (yay, conflict!) hinges on the fact that . But there is not one single action in the entire story that indicates Teman isn't happy as a slave. There are 27 references to Teman thinking "oh, hey, yeah, I have to plan an escape" but no actual plans, you understand. Or thoughts of home. Or anything that suggests Teman actually wants to leave.
That's because, as Bathasar so insightfully points out to him, "As I am aware . . . your mind and focus is almost entirely on sex."
Also this:
"A moment later, however, Teman was distracted when the spicy sauce used for the meats was painted onto his nipples, bringing a gasp from his lips as the spices reacted to his sensitive flesh. Said nipples hardened nearly instantly, causing a low moan."
Lol @ "said nipples."
On the plus side, "mewling" count = 0, "Baby" count = 0
However:
"nipples" = 74
"oil" = 66
"sac" = 34
"balls" = 99 (!)
"cock/s" = a nicely even 100
Possibly if you just wanted to read a lot of tender love scenes between a sex slave and loving master this would be just the ticket.
Not for me.
1.5 stars rounded up.
May 20, 2016
Is edging your thing?
Boy… do I have a book rec for you.
I must warn you, if you don't have a good dentist you should get one prior to reading this. I had mine on standby. The sweetness got so thick my fingers began sticking to my Kindle.
I tend to think in terms of cooking/food so let me put it this way, Choices is the equivalent of this as an entree:
This as a side:
This as dessert:
And this to wash all that yummy goodness down:
# of I love yous: 46
# of times they refer or are referred to as lover: 100
It's a veritable love in, I tell ya.
Verra, verra surprising given that it's essentially a dub con tale. I was expecting a bit more grit instead of edging, edging, edging, objectification, praise, praise, praise & oh look, more edging with LOADS of love sprinkles on top. I'm actually surprised Teman's balls didn't simply explode.
"Teman’s body bowed hard as the orgasm ripped through him, pleasure so sharp and hot, it was insane. His balls hurt as he pumped out stream after stream of cum, coating all three men along with his own chest, legs, and even catching his own face and hair. It went on, not wanting to end, and he rode the cock still inside him, thrust into the hand around him, twisted so that his nipples were pulled harder, all dragging the orgasm out and intensifying it."
Not surprising after 9 days. 9! N.I.N.E.
I scanned some of the reviews prior to reading Choices that complained of "too much sex" & my first thought was, "that's an oxymoron, right?" Admittedly, there is quite a bit of sex but they are pleasure slaves so… it's to be expected, no? My issue is there's no pushing limits, no delving into the psyche of the slave, the sex doesn't advance their relationship so in that respect it is gratuitous and sort of… bodice ripping? AND no punishments! That's just wrong.
Rundown: Teman and Jasim are gypsies and besties that get picked up for theft & attempted murder (trumped up) in Neyem. They are given the choice of being sent to the dungeon or becoming pleasure slaves. Hmmm wonder what they'll choose? They begin their training and become friends with two established slaves, Cyrus and Nadir. The training involves conditioning to become aroused by bells and incense. Very effectively, I might add. Teman catches the eye of the malik, Mukesh, as well as his son the amir, Bathasar. The malik is a sadist and a hair on the cray cray side. Bathasar wends up scooping up Teman and they fall in (insta)love. Political intrigue, assassination attempts, covert alliances & traveling cross country help keep the story going.
I like both Teman and Bathasar. They're both very ahem, sweet and I do love me a sweet lil slave boy. On the other hand, I think that's part of my problem. They both love, love, love each other. All goes swimmingly with their relationship. No struggles with becoming a slave which one would expect under these circumstances. There's not even that much angst!
The writing's pretty good if predictable. I think it could've done with some editing-there's an excess of fluff, repeated fluff that dragged the pacing. I was bored and distracted often-not a good sign. But… can't rate a sweet lil slave boy tale less than 3 stars. In the end...
"They loved, and that was all there was to it."
Literally.
Update: for those in the Taboo Twister Challenge.
November 4, 2014
Please note: This is a work of erotica. The sex and plot are inseparable. The plot is woven through the sex. If you read the sex, you'll get the plot. Thank you. :)
I am very proud of this book. I've put quite a bit into it and am thrilled that I am finally published.
Thank you to everyone who's stuck with it, finished it and appreciated it.
I am very proud of this book. I've put quite a bit into it and am thrilled that I am finally published.
Thank you to everyone who's stuck with it, finished it and appreciated it.
April 22, 2013
If I could do half stars it would be 4.5, only because I had a few nitpicks (and I really do mean nitpicks, it was nothing huge, and nothing that can't really be chalked up to first novel stuff... please do not get me going on all the flaws in my own first novel. There are a kazillion).
All of THAT said, I *really* enjoyed Choices.
I knew going in that it was much longer than I usually prefer in a romance, but I was really suprised at just *how* much longer. It didn't *feel* long, it just took a little while longer to read than usual (which was NOT a bad thing!) The pacing was excellent, the amount of detail just right (I had a very firm sense of where I was) and I really appreaciate the use of all five senses in descriptive passages--and in fact there are places where scent and sound are far more important than sight and touch (and *not* just the sexual conditioning scenes; there's a particular passage where the scent of night flowers triggers a memory that comes crashing down on Teman which is just beautifully written).
The (yes, frequent) sex can be summed up in two words: "Hot" and "Tender", which is just the way I like it :)
Overall, the writing is solid and very easy to read.
There is definite character growth, mostly in Bathasar's and Jasim's characters. Teman does experience some character growth, but it's more subtle and he was more mature to begin with IMO, so he didn't need to grow so much as to get a little sense knocked into him.
Anyone who knows me knows what a big deal good dialoge is for me, so total kudos to Grace in that department. The dialogue was completely natural sounding and flowed smoothly.
And did I mention the sex was hot? ;-) Folks who don't enjoy multiple partner sex scenes (all male in this case) probably won't like this one, and folks who can't quite wrap their heads around "open" relationships may not like it either. (The relationships in Choices are NOT "open" in the typical sense of it, but rather there is a distinction drawn between sex and making love, and even that gets blurred somewhat in places, although it's truly all good because there *is* so much tenderness involved).
I enjoyed the D/s elements tremendously; it was *very* well written and did I mention the sex was hot? I'm labeling it D/s rather than BDSM because of the nature of Bathasar's and Teman's relationship (Master and slave). The S&M aspects of the story weren't a part of that relationship although there were some definite S&M type scenes--and not all of them "bad" (as in non-con. See below: )
There are also some truly brutal scenes in Choices and they are described in enough detail to make it clear that life isn't always pleasant. As a slave, Teman can be used by anyone who wants him and one of the people who wants wants little more than to break everyone he considers "lesser"--he especially wants to break Teman because Bathasar loves Teman. While I didn't like reading those scenes (no one should, they're not meant to be enjoyed), I do appreciate the way they were handled and the guts it took to include them. This is definitely not a fluffy read, but it's not a difficult or "dark" book, either.
While I wouldn't call this the angsty-est (is that a word?) book I've read, it had enough to satisfy my appatite for angsty fiction.
I am very much looking forward to the sequel/spin off :)
All of THAT said, I *really* enjoyed Choices.
I knew going in that it was much longer than I usually prefer in a romance, but I was really suprised at just *how* much longer. It didn't *feel* long, it just took a little while longer to read than usual (which was NOT a bad thing!) The pacing was excellent, the amount of detail just right (I had a very firm sense of where I was) and I really appreaciate the use of all five senses in descriptive passages--and in fact there are places where scent and sound are far more important than sight and touch (and *not* just the sexual conditioning scenes; there's a particular passage where the scent of night flowers triggers a memory that comes crashing down on Teman which is just beautifully written).
The (yes, frequent) sex can be summed up in two words: "Hot" and "Tender", which is just the way I like it :)
Overall, the writing is solid and very easy to read.
There is definite character growth, mostly in Bathasar's and Jasim's characters. Teman does experience some character growth, but it's more subtle and he was more mature to begin with IMO, so he didn't need to grow so much as to get a little sense knocked into him.
Anyone who knows me knows what a big deal good dialoge is for me, so total kudos to Grace in that department. The dialogue was completely natural sounding and flowed smoothly.
And did I mention the sex was hot? ;-) Folks who don't enjoy multiple partner sex scenes (all male in this case) probably won't like this one, and folks who can't quite wrap their heads around "open" relationships may not like it either. (The relationships in Choices are NOT "open" in the typical sense of it, but rather there is a distinction drawn between sex and making love, and even that gets blurred somewhat in places, although it's truly all good because there *is* so much tenderness involved).
I enjoyed the D/s elements tremendously; it was *very* well written and did I mention the sex was hot? I'm labeling it D/s rather than BDSM because of the nature of Bathasar's and Teman's relationship (Master and slave). The S&M aspects of the story weren't a part of that relationship although there were some definite S&M type scenes--and not all of them "bad" (as in non-con. See below: )
There are also some truly brutal scenes in Choices and they are described in enough detail to make it clear that life isn't always pleasant. As a slave, Teman can be used by anyone who wants him and one of the people who wants wants little more than to break everyone he considers "lesser"--he especially wants to break Teman because Bathasar loves Teman. While I didn't like reading those scenes (no one should, they're not meant to be enjoyed), I do appreciate the way they were handled and the guts it took to include them. This is definitely not a fluffy read, but it's not a difficult or "dark" book, either.
While I wouldn't call this the angsty-est (is that a word?) book I've read, it had enough to satisfy my appatite for angsty fiction.
I am very much looking forward to the sequel/spin off :)
March 24, 2013
DNF - 59%
Bored to tears even after attempting to skim through all the mind-numbing sex. Zero tension of any kind between the MC's. Insta-love the likes I haven't encountered in some time with more "I love you"'s than I could handle. I found the MC's uninteresting and never came to care about them, their story or the external conflicts they faced. I couldn't finish it, didn't like it one bit...not my book. :(
Bored to tears even after attempting to skim through all the mind-numbing sex. Zero tension of any kind between the MC's. Insta-love the likes I haven't encountered in some time with more "I love you"'s than I could handle. I found the MC's uninteresting and never came to care about them, their story or the external conflicts they faced. I couldn't finish it, didn't like it one bit...not my book. :(
August 17, 2013
M/m kinksters who enjoy dub-con, this is a must read. Ms. Duncan is a new to me author. She's one I will be following. This book is a richly woven tale of sexual servitude, sexual slavery, love and court politics. Best friends Teman and Jasim used up all their luck. They are basically "re-possessors". This last item they tried to retrieve was a set up. It's never clear who set them up, but the results are nevertheless, constricting. They can go to the dungeon in iron chains or go to the harem in golden chains.
The sex in this story is hot. Those who enjoyed the Beauty Series by Anne Rice will enjoy the sexual training of Teman and Jasim. I'm never going to think of an anklet ringed with bells the same again. The behaviour modification is subversively depraved. Almost makes me want to find a couple of not so submissive humans, capture them and test out this theory. The CBT is delicious as well as the constant edging. The sadistic parts in this story isn't the "acceptable" BDSM yet I still enjoyed it. I liked the cruelty and the poor beaten male slaves. The King, Mukesh was a dastardly bastard.
This tale is more than just sex and more sex. There is a plot with a believable conflict as well as good character development. I like Teman and how he struggles with his captivity. He's living a better life than if he were working on the streets, yet he's a gypsy, used to packing up and leaving at a moment's notice. Will he survive living in a cage, no matter how luxurious? Teman is determined to escape yet his plans are changed when he meets Bathasar. Bathasar is the heir to the crazy sadistic Mukesh. He's different than his father. Bathasar falls for Teman. Their blooming romance is sweet and in constant threat from the Mukesh. This conflict is well done and did tug at my heart strings.
The world building for this story is just enough for a reader to gain perspective and a frame of reference. For those who know a little about Turk and China, it may make this story easier to assimilate. Even without this background, it's easy to understand and follow. Overall, I found this story silky smooth and riveting. I read it in one sitting. Recommended for kinky m/m dub-con romance lovers.
*I received this from the author for an honest review through the BDSM group's R2R
The sex in this story is hot. Those who enjoyed the Beauty Series by Anne Rice will enjoy the sexual training of Teman and Jasim. I'm never going to think of an anklet ringed with bells the same again. The behaviour modification is subversively depraved. Almost makes me want to find a couple of not so submissive humans, capture them and test out this theory. The CBT is delicious as well as the constant edging. The sadistic parts in this story isn't the "acceptable" BDSM yet I still enjoyed it. I liked the cruelty and the poor beaten male slaves. The King, Mukesh was a dastardly bastard.
This tale is more than just sex and more sex. There is a plot with a believable conflict as well as good character development. I like Teman and how he struggles with his captivity. He's living a better life than if he were working on the streets, yet he's a gypsy, used to packing up and leaving at a moment's notice. Will he survive living in a cage, no matter how luxurious? Teman is determined to escape yet his plans are changed when he meets Bathasar. Bathasar is the heir to the crazy sadistic Mukesh. He's different than his father. Bathasar falls for Teman. Their blooming romance is sweet and in constant threat from the Mukesh. This conflict is well done and did tug at my heart strings.
The world building for this story is just enough for a reader to gain perspective and a frame of reference. For those who know a little about Turk and China, it may make this story easier to assimilate. Even without this background, it's easy to understand and follow. Overall, I found this story silky smooth and riveting. I read it in one sitting. Recommended for kinky m/m dub-con romance lovers.
*I received this from the author for an honest review through the BDSM group's R2R
August 6, 2016
Sensual and hot 1st millennial political thriller.
This isn't reality, it's romanticized sexual slavery. It is simmering with flashes of molten hot as Jasim and Teman become indoctrinated into the palace pleasure slave corps after being caught red-handed.
This a gentle take on harem life with leisurely slave training focused on creating a happy and prepared slave. The good torture, aka bed play, is offset with a few short scenes of cruelty--not sadism, because done right Teman would have lit up like a Christmas tree. Bathasar respects the line his father, Malik Mukesh enjoys obliterating at every opportunity, which he deems his right and the slave's duty to endure.
This is an epic edging and orgasm denial read that just keeps Bathasar playing Teman and assorted friends while you, the reader stews. Bathasar's lovingly devised frustrations for Teman just melt you. In fact, I upped the rating a half point just because of the incredible smexiness. Be advised that the story features multiple sexual partners, it is a harem setting after all, but with dedicated pair bonding.
In the end, Teman has choices to make and in between all the teasing and caging there is an entertaining story with intrigue and assassins.
Recommended for kinksters who like hot, sweet loving of the Mmmm...variety.
Favorite passage:
“Do you really feel free? Or do you feel trapped? What is freedom to you, Teman? What defines freedom?”
~~ A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
This isn't reality, it's romanticized sexual slavery. It is simmering with flashes of molten hot as Jasim and Teman become indoctrinated into the palace pleasure slave corps after being caught red-handed.
This a gentle take on harem life with leisurely slave training focused on creating a happy and prepared slave. The good torture, aka bed play, is offset with a few short scenes of cruelty--not sadism, because done right Teman would have lit up like a Christmas tree. Bathasar respects the line his father, Malik Mukesh enjoys obliterating at every opportunity, which he deems his right and the slave's duty to endure.
This is an epic edging and orgasm denial read that just keeps Bathasar playing Teman and assorted friends while you, the reader stews. Bathasar's lovingly devised frustrations for Teman just melt you. In fact, I upped the rating a half point just because of the incredible smexiness. Be advised that the story features multiple sexual partners, it is a harem setting after all, but with dedicated pair bonding.
In the end, Teman has choices to make and in between all the teasing and caging there is an entertaining story with intrigue and assassins.
Recommended for kinksters who like hot, sweet loving of the Mmmm...variety.
Favorite passage:
“Do you really feel free? Or do you feel trapped? What is freedom to you, Teman? What defines freedom?”
~~ A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
March 17, 2013
This book isn't of a genre that I normally read or enjoy. While I am extremely open minded, accepting, and supportive of the homosexual community, I don't find myself enjoying reading this nature of book. With that being said, this book was extremely well written. The author took to detail with the utmost care. The descriptions of everything -- from the countryside to the people and even to the walls of the palaces -- was well done. As I was reading, it was impossible not to envision every last detail of anything going on.
As for the story, wow! I felt almost every emotion possible while reading this story. I found myself to truly care about every character and was full of hatred towards Mukesh. I laughed, cried, and even turned my normal nail-biting habit into something of insanity. Talk about a whirlwind of emotions.
To think that this book is the first by this author seems ridiculous. She has a raw talent for this. I can't wait to see more books by her. I will definitely be looking out for any sequels!
As for the story, wow! I felt almost every emotion possible while reading this story. I found myself to truly care about every character and was full of hatred towards Mukesh. I laughed, cried, and even turned my normal nail-biting habit into something of insanity. Talk about a whirlwind of emotions.
To think that this book is the first by this author seems ridiculous. She has a raw talent for this. I can't wait to see more books by her. I will definitely be looking out for any sequels!
March 15, 2013
An excellent story that let you enter a world filled with pleasure slave, political intrigue and love that knows no bounds. I really can't recommend this book enough. The pacing is excellent, the characters are amazing and the story line is compelling. I finished reading it and wanted to immediately start all over again.
March 26, 2013
I found this book an intriguing read because it wasn't what I originally expected. I assumed it would be erotic adventure, in part because the opening scene is so wonderfully Prince of Persia, but the story of Choices is really erotica. And it's really good erotica!
Once Teman chooses to become a slave, which given the choice he had to make was understandable, the greater part of the novel follows his erotic journey. He discovers parts of his psychology he had not known existed and his body learns new ways to experience pleasure and release. Some of the passages describing these erotic lessons are beautifully written, and there are a lot of these passages. Sometimes I enjoyed the writing so much it became part of the erotic experience for me. But there you have it: I enjoyed the book on that level as much as for the story.
Parts of the story left me unsatisfied. I would have liked to see more interaction before the characters fell in love, for one thing. For another, I'm a plot person and the plot has some flaws. The erotic journey inside the palace is intricate and detailed, with intimately drawn characters. The slave master Saheli, fellow slaves Cyrus and Nadir, and Teman's childhood friend Jasim all come to vivid life. Once the story moves out of the palace, however, it steps into a bigger picture of strife between two countries that demands more suspension of disbelief than I was able to muster. I won't spoil the plot points, but will just say that I found the situation leading up to the climax unrealistic and distracting from Teman and Bathazar's gorgeous personal journey.
Which is what I always come back to when I think about this book: the personal erotic journey it details. I read a lot of fiction with BDSM themes and most don't ring true for me, especially in their portrayals of sexual submission. The way Teman falls under the spell of his body's capacity to experience pleasure is so beautifully portrayed it's a journey I will want to revisit. The erotic core of the book, which is also the biggest chunk of pages, is what "makes" this book so satisfying. Is there a lot of sex? Oh, yes. That's why this book goes right on my "I want this in paperback" list.
My rating might be 4 stars because of the plot issue, but it gets points for the lovely writing and I enjoyed it so damn much I'm giving it 5 stars because that's what I give every book that lingers in my mind and prompts me to go back and read it again. I recommend this book to lovers of slave-fic, orgasm denial, insta-love, and rich, lovely erotica.
Once Teman chooses to become a slave, which given the choice he had to make was understandable, the greater part of the novel follows his erotic journey. He discovers parts of his psychology he had not known existed and his body learns new ways to experience pleasure and release. Some of the passages describing these erotic lessons are beautifully written, and there are a lot of these passages. Sometimes I enjoyed the writing so much it became part of the erotic experience for me. But there you have it: I enjoyed the book on that level as much as for the story.
Parts of the story left me unsatisfied. I would have liked to see more interaction before the characters fell in love, for one thing. For another, I'm a plot person and the plot has some flaws. The erotic journey inside the palace is intricate and detailed, with intimately drawn characters. The slave master Saheli, fellow slaves Cyrus and Nadir, and Teman's childhood friend Jasim all come to vivid life. Once the story moves out of the palace, however, it steps into a bigger picture of strife between two countries that demands more suspension of disbelief than I was able to muster. I won't spoil the plot points, but will just say that I found the situation leading up to the climax unrealistic and distracting from Teman and Bathazar's gorgeous personal journey.
Which is what I always come back to when I think about this book: the personal erotic journey it details. I read a lot of fiction with BDSM themes and most don't ring true for me, especially in their portrayals of sexual submission. The way Teman falls under the spell of his body's capacity to experience pleasure is so beautifully portrayed it's a journey I will want to revisit. The erotic core of the book, which is also the biggest chunk of pages, is what "makes" this book so satisfying. Is there a lot of sex? Oh, yes. That's why this book goes right on my "I want this in paperback" list.
My rating might be 4 stars because of the plot issue, but it gets points for the lovely writing and I enjoyed it so damn much I'm giving it 5 stars because that's what I give every book that lingers in my mind and prompts me to go back and read it again. I recommend this book to lovers of slave-fic, orgasm denial, insta-love, and rich, lovely erotica.
July 6, 2016
This is a rather long fantasy m/m slave fic, an intensely erotic read obsessed with orgasm denial. Just love that cover, the guy at the front is the gypsy Teman, pleasure slave to royal prince Bathasar (the guy in back).
'Teman pulled back, staring into those damning eyes that still held nothing but love for him, and any ability to breathe disappeared. His stomach twisted into knots and he stood there for a long moment, unable to move, unable to speak , unable to do anything but stare at this man he loved. Loved more than anything... but his freedom.'
'Teman pulled back, staring into those damning eyes that still held nothing but love for him, and any ability to breathe disappeared. His stomach twisted into knots and he stood there for a long moment, unable to move, unable to speak , unable to do anything but stare at this man he loved. Loved more than anything... but his freedom.'
March 23, 2013
4.5 stars :)
Loved this story, the characters and the relationships between them. The massive amount of sex slowed the plot too much, but I was still immersed. Looking forward to more from this author :)
Loved this story, the characters and the relationships between them. The massive amount of sex slowed the plot too much, but I was still immersed. Looking forward to more from this author :)
October 13, 2014
Grace R. Duncan’s Choices is a fabulous novel – if you love a beautifully written story with gripping plot, well-developed characters, romance, erotic scenes, and just enough angst, you will find it hard to put this book down!
Here are some of the highlights of what is so wonderful about Choices:
Plot:
This book is a work of erotica. However, unlike in many erotic novels, there is a substantial amount of well-developed, fascinating plot to Choices – and not just about the trials that Bathasar and Teman face in their relationship. The fates of entire kingdoms, the well-being of civilians and nobles alike, are threatened by Mukesh’s instability, and Bathasar, Teman, and their friends are instrumental in working to maintain peace.
Characters:
We get to know Bathasar and Teman the best out of all the characters, given that it is their story. And how they develop throughout the novel, both individually and as a couple, is wonderful to read. The supporting cast is well-developed, and each person is unique and interesting. Several characters in particular (Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, and Salehi) have enough backstory that is hinted at, that they are worthy of their own novels. Some characters I loved to love (especially Bathasar, Teman, Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, Salehi, Jasim, Jielan, and Kaya), and one in particular I loved to hate (Mukesh, of course). Even minor characters with only a few appearances have enough to them that they don’t feel like cardboard cutouts.
Sex:
Let me just start with saying – this book is full of very, very hot scenes. And they’re beautifully written. But beyond that, the amount of diversity between the sex scenes in Choices is fantastic. Since Teman (and several of the other characters) are pleasure slaves, and have to undergo training and serve different masters at different points, there are fascinating distinctions between sex for pleasure (sometimes of just one party, sometimes of two or more parties) and sex for love. There are a few extremely brutal scenes – not designed to titillate, but for plot and character development – which Grace handled very well. Also, there is BDSM aplenty in Choices, and it’s quite clear that Grace knows quite well what she's talking about.
Emotion:
This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride – and it was a delightful one. Depending on what was happening in the story, I whimpered nervously, I squeaked in delight, I giggled, and I actually cried at one point. The last of those does not happen frequently at all. I was so affected because of how much I was able to identify with the characters and their own emotions, which Grace has written so well.
Prose:
This book is masterfully written. Grace weaves words beautifully, in a style that is a joy to read. The dialogue is natural, and characters have their own voices. Her descriptions of the world of Choices are vivid, and it is clear that she put real effort into researching the time period and setting to make the novel all the more realistic.
I wholeheartedly recommend Choices, and look forward to Grace’s future projects.
Here are some of the highlights of what is so wonderful about Choices:
Plot:
This book is a work of erotica. However, unlike in many erotic novels, there is a substantial amount of well-developed, fascinating plot to Choices – and not just about the trials that Bathasar and Teman face in their relationship. The fates of entire kingdoms, the well-being of civilians and nobles alike, are threatened by Mukesh’s instability, and Bathasar, Teman, and their friends are instrumental in working to maintain peace.
Characters:
We get to know Bathasar and Teman the best out of all the characters, given that it is their story. And how they develop throughout the novel, both individually and as a couple, is wonderful to read. The supporting cast is well-developed, and each person is unique and interesting. Several characters in particular (Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, and Salehi) have enough backstory that is hinted at, that they are worthy of their own novels. Some characters I loved to love (especially Bathasar, Teman, Cyrus, Nadir, Darius, Salehi, Jasim, Jielan, and Kaya), and one in particular I loved to hate (Mukesh, of course). Even minor characters with only a few appearances have enough to them that they don’t feel like cardboard cutouts.
Sex:
Let me just start with saying – this book is full of very, very hot scenes. And they’re beautifully written. But beyond that, the amount of diversity between the sex scenes in Choices is fantastic. Since Teman (and several of the other characters) are pleasure slaves, and have to undergo training and serve different masters at different points, there are fascinating distinctions between sex for pleasure (sometimes of just one party, sometimes of two or more parties) and sex for love. There are a few extremely brutal scenes – not designed to titillate, but for plot and character development – which Grace handled very well. Also, there is BDSM aplenty in Choices, and it’s quite clear that Grace knows quite well what she's talking about.
Emotion:
This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride – and it was a delightful one. Depending on what was happening in the story, I whimpered nervously, I squeaked in delight, I giggled, and I actually cried at one point. The last of those does not happen frequently at all. I was so affected because of how much I was able to identify with the characters and their own emotions, which Grace has written so well.
Prose:
This book is masterfully written. Grace weaves words beautifully, in a style that is a joy to read. The dialogue is natural, and characters have their own voices. Her descriptions of the world of Choices are vivid, and it is clear that she put real effort into researching the time period and setting to make the novel all the more realistic.
I wholeheartedly recommend Choices, and look forward to Grace’s future projects.
March 28, 2013
TMI blurb is TMI
I am looking forward to this already.
-------------------------------------------------
Edit: I give up. 40% and none of the promised plots have started yet, nor do I care, because so far every chapter (except maybe the first, so it's still eleven for twelve) has got a sex scene that is at LEAST 20 pages long.
And one chapter is only about 25 pages the way my ebook is formatted.
The characters are walking penises; nary a thought goes by that does not revolve around their penis, how hard they are, how much they want an orgasm, or which slave they would like to bone today. The blurb promised plot, but the way things are going Bathasar will be assassinating his father and fucking Teman at the same time because there just isn't enough pages to do politics and have sex unless you do both together.
This is straight up PWP, made all the more dastardly because it promised plot but all it delivered was lots of repetitive sex. It's not even very good as erotica. There's only so many times you can read about vanilla sex and some delayed orgasms without feeling like you're watching Tom and Jerry on loop.
If you don't mind your 'plot' appearing like a serialized novel that delivers 2 pages of story for every 30 days you have to wait then by all means, read this.
Recommended for: People who want to read about sex and likes slaves.
I am looking forward to this already.
-------------------------------------------------
Edit: I give up. 40% and none of the promised plots have started yet, nor do I care, because so far every chapter (except maybe the first, so it's still eleven for twelve) has got a sex scene that is at LEAST 20 pages long.
And one chapter is only about 25 pages the way my ebook is formatted.
The characters are walking penises; nary a thought goes by that does not revolve around their penis, how hard they are, how much they want an orgasm, or which slave they would like to bone today. The blurb promised plot, but the way things are going Bathasar will be assassinating his father and fucking Teman at the same time because there just isn't enough pages to do politics and have sex unless you do both together.
This is straight up PWP, made all the more dastardly because it promised plot but all it delivered was lots of repetitive sex. It's not even very good as erotica. There's only so many times you can read about vanilla sex and some delayed orgasms without feeling like you're watching Tom and Jerry on loop.
If you don't mind your 'plot' appearing like a serialized novel that delivers 2 pages of story for every 30 days you have to wait then by all means, read this.
Recommended for: People who want to read about sex and likes slaves.
March 8, 2013
3~3.5 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
It is always your choice. You choose between an iron collar and a gold one, or between a gold one and a unique labeled one, or between a unique labeled one or none at all. It’s always your choice.
Teman had no difficulty choosing the gold collar that would made him a pleasure slave. Yes his body no longer belonged to him or his life, but that choice held the best possibility for an escape, if only his brain would stop thinking about sex long enough to form a plan.
Then there came Bathasar and when he offered the choice for Teman to be only his slave, his love, his man, the choice was even easier than the first time for Teman. So he traded his plan gold collar, for a better one that held his masters name; a tag that clearly labeled his as Bathasar’s property. And while they were so much more than that, his gypsy soul always craved freedom, but freedom soon became just a dream when his best friend Jasim was gifted to an Empress and Teman was left alone with only his love to contain him.
But when time came that his one and only love could offer him a life with no collar at all the choice was not so easy anymore. The freedom Teman so much longed for came at a price; choose it and lose your love, chose your love and forget freedom forever.
This was quite a lovely book, one that in my opinion had the potential of being exceptional. This is the tale of a slave that his spirit fed in freedom; the tale of a crown prince that had no love for his crown; the story of a cruel and malicious malik (equal to king) who had no compassion for human life. The malik, Bathasar’s father had a strong sadistic side that cost him the hatred of many people, his own and foreign. Teman’s ability to endure and Bathasar’s infatuation with the slave only fed the malik’s cruelty more, and in caused him to lose control in front of a court dinner when many foreign royalty were present, which in turn caused many treaties downfall. The malik’s insanity though goes further when he tries to assassinate the Empress of Tiantang and assault her country, something Bathasar eagerly tries to prevent. They have one chance to get rid of the cruel ruler and that involves Teman and his ability to endure whatever the malik has in store for him in order to provide distraction. A choice hard to make that might cause him his life.
While this book was very entertaining it had strong weaknesses in the plot both in how the characters reacted and responded, and the incredibly fast way they fell “in love”. In such circumstances as monarchy to be able to display such weakness in front of the court as the Malik did is simply not realistic, even more so to have a guest challenge your authority in your own palace, or get in a position that would draw such response.
As for the pair’s fast escalating emotions and those of the Empress with Jasim, let just say that I’m not fond in declarations of love the first night a pair gets together. This passage is precisely what I mean:
"Bathasar didn’t care that Teman had been a thief, didn’t care that he was now a slave, didn’t care about any of that. He liked Teman’s personality, liked Teman’s humor, liked all of that."
However Bathasar simply never had the chance to get to know Teman and fall in love for Teman himself. While Bathasar might have gathered information and was fascinated with the slave, strong emotions such as love are too much for me to swallow when they came the very first night of their “lovemaking”. I simply wish there was given some time to the pair to bond, it would have made the read much more believable and intense.
Furthermore the balance between the intimate scenes and the story itself was very poor. The sex scenes were numerous and managed to draw focus from the story at the point where you felt the story was only 100 pages in a near 400 pages novel. While steamy-hot is perhaps a huge understatement for the scenes and the intensity they had, it still became tiresome and made you wish they were less. They also gave me a bad taste when it came to Teman’s character. The book starts with a very strong, mysterious Teman, one who was always the level-headed and the one to keep things in control while Jasim was the fly with the wind guy. That person however is lost in the haze of lust and love, making one slight appearance and then lost again. I often felt that it was such a shame for that wonderful personality to be deduced in a mindless pleasure thing.
And as for the action itself, too many lost opportunities in my opinion to create a tension like no other. The fear the malik could cause was a bit lost and sometimes it made no sense as in why he would act the way he did.
So at this point you might very well wonder why give 3.5 hearts at all to this story. As I said, while not exceptional, I enjoyed the read. It was too long, yes but still it did keet me in its hook and I got completely lost in the story. The fact that the intimate scenes revolve around orgasm denial and frustration are a plus cause I’m just a sucker for mind games and this book is all about that. Kinky, hot, sensual and mind-blowing the erotic scenes were extremely powerful in too many ways. In addition the story is located in eleventh century Arabia, one of my favorite areas, in a time when the harems were in full bloom and indeed human life was nothing more than the ruler’s property.
What can I say, I was fascinated by this story and if you are even remotely interested in all the above I recommend take the dive. Aladin and Jasmin have nothing on Teman and Bathasar. ;)
Thommie.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
It is always your choice. You choose between an iron collar and a gold one, or between a gold one and a unique labeled one, or between a unique labeled one or none at all. It’s always your choice.
Teman had no difficulty choosing the gold collar that would made him a pleasure slave. Yes his body no longer belonged to him or his life, but that choice held the best possibility for an escape, if only his brain would stop thinking about sex long enough to form a plan.
Then there came Bathasar and when he offered the choice for Teman to be only his slave, his love, his man, the choice was even easier than the first time for Teman. So he traded his plan gold collar, for a better one that held his masters name; a tag that clearly labeled his as Bathasar’s property. And while they were so much more than that, his gypsy soul always craved freedom, but freedom soon became just a dream when his best friend Jasim was gifted to an Empress and Teman was left alone with only his love to contain him.
But when time came that his one and only love could offer him a life with no collar at all the choice was not so easy anymore. The freedom Teman so much longed for came at a price; choose it and lose your love, chose your love and forget freedom forever.
This was quite a lovely book, one that in my opinion had the potential of being exceptional. This is the tale of a slave that his spirit fed in freedom; the tale of a crown prince that had no love for his crown; the story of a cruel and malicious malik (equal to king) who had no compassion for human life. The malik, Bathasar’s father had a strong sadistic side that cost him the hatred of many people, his own and foreign. Teman’s ability to endure and Bathasar’s infatuation with the slave only fed the malik’s cruelty more, and in caused him to lose control in front of a court dinner when many foreign royalty were present, which in turn caused many treaties downfall. The malik’s insanity though goes further when he tries to assassinate the Empress of Tiantang and assault her country, something Bathasar eagerly tries to prevent. They have one chance to get rid of the cruel ruler and that involves Teman and his ability to endure whatever the malik has in store for him in order to provide distraction. A choice hard to make that might cause him his life.
While this book was very entertaining it had strong weaknesses in the plot both in how the characters reacted and responded, and the incredibly fast way they fell “in love”. In such circumstances as monarchy to be able to display such weakness in front of the court as the Malik did is simply not realistic, even more so to have a guest challenge your authority in your own palace, or get in a position that would draw such response.
As for the pair’s fast escalating emotions and those of the Empress with Jasim, let just say that I’m not fond in declarations of love the first night a pair gets together. This passage is precisely what I mean:
"Bathasar didn’t care that Teman had been a thief, didn’t care that he was now a slave, didn’t care about any of that. He liked Teman’s personality, liked Teman’s humor, liked all of that."
However Bathasar simply never had the chance to get to know Teman and fall in love for Teman himself. While Bathasar might have gathered information and was fascinated with the slave, strong emotions such as love are too much for me to swallow when they came the very first night of their “lovemaking”. I simply wish there was given some time to the pair to bond, it would have made the read much more believable and intense.
Furthermore the balance between the intimate scenes and the story itself was very poor. The sex scenes were numerous and managed to draw focus from the story at the point where you felt the story was only 100 pages in a near 400 pages novel. While steamy-hot is perhaps a huge understatement for the scenes and the intensity they had, it still became tiresome and made you wish they were less. They also gave me a bad taste when it came to Teman’s character. The book starts with a very strong, mysterious Teman, one who was always the level-headed and the one to keep things in control while Jasim was the fly with the wind guy. That person however is lost in the haze of lust and love, making one slight appearance and then lost again. I often felt that it was such a shame for that wonderful personality to be deduced in a mindless pleasure thing.
And as for the action itself, too many lost opportunities in my opinion to create a tension like no other. The fear the malik could cause was a bit lost and sometimes it made no sense as in why he would act the way he did.
So at this point you might very well wonder why give 3.5 hearts at all to this story. As I said, while not exceptional, I enjoyed the read. It was too long, yes but still it did keet me in its hook and I got completely lost in the story. The fact that the intimate scenes revolve around orgasm denial and frustration are a plus cause I’m just a sucker for mind games and this book is all about that. Kinky, hot, sensual and mind-blowing the erotic scenes were extremely powerful in too many ways. In addition the story is located in eleventh century Arabia, one of my favorite areas, in a time when the harems were in full bloom and indeed human life was nothing more than the ruler’s property.
What can I say, I was fascinated by this story and if you are even remotely interested in all the above I recommend take the dive. Aladin and Jasmin have nothing on Teman and Bathasar. ;)
Thommie.
August 23, 2013
WOW!!! That is a lot of sex. I shudder to admit it was almost to much. I would give this book a Solid 3 and a half stars but I went with four stars because the ending made up for the redundancy of the sex scenes in the beginning.
For the first part of this book it is sex scene after sex scene with a bit of plot put in. In my opinion this book would have been 5 stars if the plot at least equaled the sex scenes. For lovers of MM romance in combination with BDSM this is the book for you. This is an historical book but the situations within make it a good read even if you are not into historical romances. This a fantasy book and the situations intended for that purpose and have nothing to do with true historical situations.
Teman and Jasim are Gypsy thieves for hire. They basically are good people who have convinced themselves they were steeling from the true thieves to return the objects back to their rightful owners; but, not all of their jobs are quite so right. They are set up and caught but we never learn why. They are taken to the palace and given the choice to go to the dungeon or to become palace pleasure slaves for the rest of their lives.
I loved the characters in this book Teman and Bathasar are the Heroes of this story but Jasim, Cyris, Nadir, Salhi, Jielan, and captain Darius were wonderful supporting characters and helped make this a very good book. Salhi is in charge of the slaves and recruits Cy and Nadir to train Ja and Te to become pleasure slaves. Cy, Nadir, Ja and Te become very close friends during this training. The training is very detailed and interesting. Even Mukesh is a very good bad guy whom I never liked but was necessary to the story
The Malik Mukesh is a very bad guy and a terrible father to both of his sons. Malik Mukesh takes an unhealthy liking to Teman and enjoys torturing him. In the mean time the Malik's eldest son Bathasar falls in love with Teman but has no way to protect Teman from his father's cruelty. Malik Mukesh is getting crueler and more and more insane with time.
Bathasar comes to the decision something needs to be done about his father but he needs help from the others. Bath and Teman's journey begins and the book really starts getting good after that. I don't want to give anything away but the ending is very good so do not give up on this book if the sex becomes to much skim but don't miss the conclusion.
provided by the Author through BDSM group TPE BAR Read2Review
For the first part of this book it is sex scene after sex scene with a bit of plot put in. In my opinion this book would have been 5 stars if the plot at least equaled the sex scenes. For lovers of MM romance in combination with BDSM this is the book for you. This is an historical book but the situations within make it a good read even if you are not into historical romances. This a fantasy book and the situations intended for that purpose and have nothing to do with true historical situations.
Teman and Jasim are Gypsy thieves for hire. They basically are good people who have convinced themselves they were steeling from the true thieves to return the objects back to their rightful owners; but, not all of their jobs are quite so right. They are set up and caught but we never learn why. They are taken to the palace and given the choice to go to the dungeon or to become palace pleasure slaves for the rest of their lives.
I loved the characters in this book Teman and Bathasar are the Heroes of this story but Jasim, Cyris, Nadir, Salhi, Jielan, and captain Darius were wonderful supporting characters and helped make this a very good book. Salhi is in charge of the slaves and recruits Cy and Nadir to train Ja and Te to become pleasure slaves. Cy, Nadir, Ja and Te become very close friends during this training. The training is very detailed and interesting. Even Mukesh is a very good bad guy whom I never liked but was necessary to the story
The Malik Mukesh is a very bad guy and a terrible father to both of his sons. Malik Mukesh takes an unhealthy liking to Teman and enjoys torturing him. In the mean time the Malik's eldest son Bathasar falls in love with Teman but has no way to protect Teman from his father's cruelty. Malik Mukesh is getting crueler and more and more insane with time.
Bathasar comes to the decision something needs to be done about his father but he needs help from the others. Bath and Teman's journey begins and the book really starts getting good after that. I don't want to give anything away but the ending is very good so do not give up on this book if the sex becomes to much skim but don't miss the conclusion.
provided by the Author through BDSM group TPE BAR Read2Review
Read
December 16, 20184.5 stars
It would have been five but for my own personal issues on the inclusion of cruelty. While I recognize that it was an unfortunate necessity in a story like this, and a turning point in the novel, I just don't enjoy reading anyone suffer for the sake of malice.
However...
I loved the world. I was fascinated over how detailed it was: the palace, the country, the journey. The descriptions of the food and the clothing, the staff and the adornments, were all very well done.
Character wise, I really enjoyed reading Bathasar. He's endearing; sweet and kind and clever, definitely a man raised to respect humanity. I easily read/saw/understood the way he fell for Teman. I would have liked to see a larger range of emotion out of Teman throughout the story but that's only because I loved the personality he was portraying at the beginning of the novel. That being said, I get the concept of where the character's head would have been—the chaos going on around them, the new life—so this wasn't a developmental flaw for me, and he more than made up for it at the novel's close.
I set aside the monarchial expectations in lieu of fiction. Besides, the novel wasn't written to showcase the life of a malik, it was made to inspire romance and connection and the overcoming of odds. It did that for me unquestionably. I'd love to go deep into the ending and the emotions it raised but that would give too much away about the novel. I'll leave this will the statement that this novel was a great introduction to this world and I can't wait to see Grace develop it further.
It would have been five but for my own personal issues on the inclusion of cruelty. While I recognize that it was an unfortunate necessity in a story like this, and a turning point in the novel, I just don't enjoy reading anyone suffer for the sake of malice.
However...
I loved the world. I was fascinated over how detailed it was: the palace, the country, the journey. The descriptions of the food and the clothing, the staff and the adornments, were all very well done.
Character wise, I really enjoyed reading Bathasar. He's endearing; sweet and kind and clever, definitely a man raised to respect humanity. I easily read/saw/understood the way he fell for Teman. I would have liked to see a larger range of emotion out of Teman throughout the story but that's only because I loved the personality he was portraying at the beginning of the novel. That being said, I get the concept of where the character's head would have been—the chaos going on around them, the new life—so this wasn't a developmental flaw for me, and he more than made up for it at the novel's close.
I set aside the monarchial expectations in lieu of fiction. Besides, the novel wasn't written to showcase the life of a malik, it was made to inspire romance and connection and the overcoming of odds. It did that for me unquestionably. I'd love to go deep into the ending and the emotions it raised but that would give too much away about the novel. I'll leave this will the statement that this novel was a great introduction to this world and I can't wait to see Grace develop it further.
January 29, 2016
I'm torn on a rating here, because I'm giving the book itself 2 stars. However, I'm supposed to be reviewing the audio version, and I feel like it was a 4 star narration. He had a beautiful voice, he had a variety of lovely and believable accents or voice variations, he emoted well. I have nothing bad to say about the narration.
But the book. Well, I liked the first 1/4 or so. And I was okay with the ending. And I genuinely think Ms. Duncan is a good author. But, most of the middle of this book could have been edited out. It was so repetitive I wanted to bash my head against a wall. I had someone do a word count for me, and the Kindle stopped counting when the word "frustrate" appeared 100 times! And that's ignoring "frustrated, frustrating, and frustration."
Edge play is great, don't get me wrong, but not for 500 pages. And with the same descriptors used. And with no progression or tension. This is the most insta of insta-loves. Even Theman's slavery was brushed off pretty quickly. After insisting he could never abide the idea of slavery and he would bide his time and then escape... he proceeded to actually think about leaving a sum total of three times. He is a previously free man who is now a sex slave and forced to service anyone in the palace with the potential of being badly abused. Where is the emotional turmoil?!?! Absent, that's where. Because Theman is in love and Bathesar is wonderful and he is so in love!
Bah-humbug. And as I said, there's just too much sex. By halfway through I was skipping over entire chapters because it was all one big repetitive sex scene. They were on the treacherous road for an important diplomatic mission for nine effen days and all we got out of it was withheld orgasms, and sex, and teasing, and frustration, and sex, and teasing and sex!!!
I just got so bored. But the bones were there, the story just needs to be cut in half and it's a good mushy erotic slave-fic. If you plan to read this story despite my negative critiques, then I do think the audio is a good option.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
But the book. Well, I liked the first 1/4 or so. And I was okay with the ending. And I genuinely think Ms. Duncan is a good author. But, most of the middle of this book could have been edited out. It was so repetitive I wanted to bash my head against a wall. I had someone do a word count for me, and the Kindle stopped counting when the word "frustrate" appeared 100 times! And that's ignoring "frustrated, frustrating, and frustration."
Edge play is great, don't get me wrong, but not for 500 pages. And with the same descriptors used. And with no progression or tension. This is the most insta of insta-loves. Even Theman's slavery was brushed off pretty quickly. After insisting he could never abide the idea of slavery and he would bide his time and then escape... he proceeded to actually think about leaving a sum total of three times. He is a previously free man who is now a sex slave and forced to service anyone in the palace with the potential of being badly abused. Where is the emotional turmoil?!?! Absent, that's where. Because Theman is in love and Bathesar is wonderful and he is so in love!
Bah-humbug. And as I said, there's just too much sex. By halfway through I was skipping over entire chapters because it was all one big repetitive sex scene. They were on the treacherous road for an important diplomatic mission for nine effen days and all we got out of it was withheld orgasms, and sex, and teasing, and frustration, and sex, and teasing and sex!!!
I just got so bored. But the bones were there, the story just needs to be cut in half and it's a good mushy erotic slave-fic. If you plan to read this story despite my negative critiques, then I do think the audio is a good option.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
August 26, 2015
Oh what to say...it's a sweet slave boy love story, full of gratuitous sex, repetitiveness and excess fluff. By 60% I was over the sex, yes it was hot...the first two or three times but then it just became repetitive. I really think this could have been cut down to 200 pages or so with a good editor.
March 17, 2013
I wanted to like this one, I really did. But I kept losing the story to the same sex scenes over and over again. I think I spent more time scrolling past them then I did reading.
April 10, 2013
So hot and steamy! I thought Teman was a great character! I really enjoyed the interaction between Teman and Balthazar. Where can I find a prince like that for me?
July 1, 2018
This sure seemed like the kind of thing I would have loved, but maybe I can only read so many sex scenes in one day. Perhaps this would have been better had I stretched it out over a week or two.
March 31, 2013
Kinda spoiler-ish:
So...much...SEX!! Seriously, there's a sex scene like every 5 pages. I must have skipped through half the book just to get through it. I understand that Teman is a pleasure slave and that's going to be pretty much what the book is about, but I can only read so much explicitly detailed sex for so long that I became desensitized to it. My favorite parts of the entire book were the ones where there was absolutely no sexual contact whatsoever. Even hand-holding put me off! The actual plot line was the best part but that was only in comparison to the rest of it. The "bad guy" was the laughably clichéd and every single one of his actions was so predictable that I didn't really have to read any scene with him. And the "prince charming" was exactly that, the guy that just stands there and looks pretty while the antagonist battles with his feelings for him. Everybody that loves somebody ends up happily ever after and their only adversary ends up justifiably murdered. In any other book I would've been disappointed with the character development, but I am just so happy to be finished with the book that I'll take it as it is. The only thing that could be taken away, and I probably would've liked it a whole lot better, is about 3/4 of the sex scenes and still be just as romantic. Although, the book would probably be only about 100 pages...maybe less. All in all, it's the kind of read that can be picked up and put down often over a long period of time, and mostly read if you're feeling pretty horny. Like so horny you should probably see a doctor cuz that erection hasn't gone down for more than 4 hours. Just sayin...
EDIT: Okay, so maybe my review is a little harsh. I won't take it back but I don't want it to be an attack on the author who is obviously proud of her work. It's like seeing a really ugly baby. You wouldn't want to tell the mother to her face that her baby fell from a fugly tree and hit every branch on the way down...but it also wouldn't stop you from thinking it and possibly saying it behind her back.
Anyway, I believe that this is a good effort and definitely shows true potential. I will look into other books by this author and check them out, and I look forward to more stories she will write. I know that writing develops over time and she will probably someday write a book that will capture my heart. I have many favorite authors that I love mostly for their later works and not so much their first ones because I can see them grow in the words they write.
Grace Duncan should definitely not be discouraged by any bad reviews and I'm glad she is proud of her book.
So...much...SEX!! Seriously, there's a sex scene like every 5 pages. I must have skipped through half the book just to get through it. I understand that Teman is a pleasure slave and that's going to be pretty much what the book is about, but I can only read so much explicitly detailed sex for so long that I became desensitized to it. My favorite parts of the entire book were the ones where there was absolutely no sexual contact whatsoever. Even hand-holding put me off! The actual plot line was the best part but that was only in comparison to the rest of it. The "bad guy" was the laughably clichéd and every single one of his actions was so predictable that I didn't really have to read any scene with him. And the "prince charming" was exactly that, the guy that just stands there and looks pretty while the antagonist battles with his feelings for him. Everybody that loves somebody ends up happily ever after and their only adversary ends up justifiably murdered. In any other book I would've been disappointed with the character development, but I am just so happy to be finished with the book that I'll take it as it is. The only thing that could be taken away, and I probably would've liked it a whole lot better, is about 3/4 of the sex scenes and still be just as romantic. Although, the book would probably be only about 100 pages...maybe less. All in all, it's the kind of read that can be picked up and put down often over a long period of time, and mostly read if you're feeling pretty horny. Like so horny you should probably see a doctor cuz that erection hasn't gone down for more than 4 hours. Just sayin...
EDIT: Okay, so maybe my review is a little harsh. I won't take it back but I don't want it to be an attack on the author who is obviously proud of her work. It's like seeing a really ugly baby. You wouldn't want to tell the mother to her face that her baby fell from a fugly tree and hit every branch on the way down...but it also wouldn't stop you from thinking it and possibly saying it behind her back.
Anyway, I believe that this is a good effort and definitely shows true potential. I will look into other books by this author and check them out, and I look forward to more stories she will write. I know that writing develops over time and she will probably someday write a book that will capture my heart. I have many favorite authors that I love mostly for their later works and not so much their first ones because I can see them grow in the words they write.
Grace Duncan should definitely not be discouraged by any bad reviews and I'm glad she is proud of her book.
January 11, 2014
4.5 stars. This is one frustratingly conflicting book, I tell ya. BUT... the most important thing to note here is that this is virtually pure BDSM erotica. Yes, there is a plot buried there, but it's Teman and Bathasar's relationship which takes precedence over the palace intrigue.
Now, I may have mentioned in prior reviews that the master-slave, BDSM, palace intrigue genre is not one I particularly enjoy. Yet... somehow this story, and the characters, wiggled their way into my mind and stuck around until I finished the tale. Do note, it took me ages to finish this. But the reason wasn't because this was boring, not at all. It was the sex. There was so much erotic tension and actual sex scenes that I simply had to take breaks.
The writing is good, and the depictions and the worldbuilding are fascinating and draw you in. The pace could have been faster, yes, but this was about Teman's journey as a palace sex slave more than anything else, I think.
Then we come to Mukesh, the villainest villain I've read about lately, an absolutely cruel and inhumanly evil individual. I hated him with every fiber of my being! What he does to Teman... it turned my stomach. One of the reasons why this genre is not for me. But hating characters is one of the things I like when reading. It's pure emotional immersion, and in that this delivers.
Though the scenes with Teman and Bathasar slowed the overall plot a bit, this was a romance, and I liked their conversations and sensual explorations. Do I think Bathasar could have been smarter and acted sooner against his father? Yes. Do I think it would have made sense for Teman to at least try to escape the palace even once to justify his street thief past? Yes. Nonetheless, I liked their romance and the journey they had to take together to become comfortable with each other and their new roles.
And the delicious side plots with hot side characters weren't bad either. Looking forward to more in the series.
So, overall, a good piece of fantasy erotica, well worth the read.
Now, I may have mentioned in prior reviews that the master-slave, BDSM, palace intrigue genre is not one I particularly enjoy. Yet... somehow this story, and the characters, wiggled their way into my mind and stuck around until I finished the tale. Do note, it took me ages to finish this. But the reason wasn't because this was boring, not at all. It was the sex. There was so much erotic tension and actual sex scenes that I simply had to take breaks.
The writing is good, and the depictions and the worldbuilding are fascinating and draw you in. The pace could have been faster, yes, but this was about Teman's journey as a palace sex slave more than anything else, I think.
Then we come to Mukesh, the villainest villain I've read about lately, an absolutely cruel and inhumanly evil individual. I hated him with every fiber of my being! What he does to Teman... it turned my stomach. One of the reasons why this genre is not for me. But hating characters is one of the things I like when reading. It's pure emotional immersion, and in that this delivers.
Though the scenes with Teman and Bathasar slowed the overall plot a bit, this was a romance, and I liked their conversations and sensual explorations. Do I think Bathasar could have been smarter and acted sooner against his father? Yes. Do I think it would have made sense for Teman to at least try to escape the palace even once to justify his street thief past? Yes. Nonetheless, I liked their romance and the journey they had to take together to become comfortable with each other and their new roles.
And the delicious side plots with hot side characters weren't bad either. Looking forward to more in the series.
So, overall, a good piece of fantasy erotica, well worth the read.
July 12, 2013
I had a really hard time deciding on a rating for this book. I'm not usually a half-star reviewer but this one is definitely closer to 3.5 stars than 3. I enjoyed the second half of the story more than the first probably because the plot/sex balance was better for me. There is a lot of sex in this book but some of its main characters are sex slaves so that's not really surprising. Also, although this would probably be described as erotica it is definitely not PWP. For me the plot ideas really came into their own in the second half of the story. The seeds that were planted in the first part of the book grew into a well-written, fascinating tale of love, power and sacrifice.
The relationship between Teman and Bathasar was by turns sweet and passionate and sexy but I wish it had taken slightly longer for them to voice their feelings for each other. Their relationship grew and developed throughout the story and it would have been better for me if they had waited a while to declare their love.
I would recommed this book for those who like a lot of sex along with their story.
The relationship between Teman and Bathasar was by turns sweet and passionate and sexy but I wish it had taken slightly longer for them to voice their feelings for each other. Their relationship grew and developed throughout the story and it would have been better for me if they had waited a while to declare their love.
I would recommed this book for those who like a lot of sex along with their story.
December 7, 2015
je ne comptais mettre que trois étoiles à cause du sexe qui est omniprésent et même trop présent. Je n'avais pas l'impression de m'attacher aux personnages tellement le sexe prend une grande place dans ce livre.
Et puis... je me suis mise à vibrer avec Teman, Bathasar et tous les autres. Mais vraiment "vibrer". J'ai dû faire une pause lorsqu'un des personnage va vers ce qui risquait d'être fatal pour lui. C'est à ce moment-là que je me suis rendue compte que j'avais depuis longtemps dépassé le sexe pour m'intéresser aux personnage. Et je trouve que c'est un véritable tour de force de l'auteur.
Donc, 4 étoiles, et bravo à Grace R. Duncan. Je suis vraiment agréablement surprise !
Et puis... je me suis mise à vibrer avec Teman, Bathasar et tous les autres. Mais vraiment "vibrer". J'ai dû faire une pause lorsqu'un des personnage va vers ce qui risquait d'être fatal pour lui. C'est à ce moment-là que je me suis rendue compte que j'avais depuis longtemps dépassé le sexe pour m'intéresser aux personnage. Et je trouve que c'est un véritable tour de force de l'auteur.
Donc, 4 étoiles, et bravo à Grace R. Duncan. Je suis vraiment agréablement surprise !
October 2, 2014
When confronted with two impossible choices which do you choose? A life without love or one without freedom? Which do you choose when on the one hand is the person that makes your life worth living, and on the other a way of life, something that you were always taught to value above all else. This story of love, heartache and soul searching is one that will warm you to your very core.
A fantastic story, strong, passionate male leads, intense, titillating sex scenes (albeit a little repetitive), heart wrenching moments. What more could a girl want?
A fantastic story, strong, passionate male leads, intense, titillating sex scenes (albeit a little repetitive), heart wrenching moments. What more could a girl want?
maybe-later
April 25, 2013Did I ever mention how much the blurb sounds like a clusterfuck of wtf just happened?
No? Well, I just did.
No? Well, I just did.
November 18, 2013
Choices begins with Teman, a common thief and gypsy vagabond, who's captured while in the act of committing a crime. He and his accomplice Jasim, who also happens to be Teman's best friend and gypsy brother, are taken before the palace guard for trial and sentencing. They're given a choice to either go to the dungeons as prisoners or to serve as pleasure slaves in the palace. Either way, they lose their freedom. They choose the palace, for obvious reasons.
Thus begins the training and conditioning of the new slaves. This process is explained in graphic detail, including numerous intense sexual bondage scenes.
Simultaneously, another story is unfolding involving the royalty that occupies the palace. Bathasar is the amir, next in line for the throne. His father is malik, and Bathasar realizes that one day he will assume the throne, yet he is not thrilled by the idea. He has a much younger brother, Seth, and it is Bathasar's hope that Seth will secede their father so Bathasar doesn't have to.
The royalty and their visiting dignitaries and guests have full access to the pleasure slaves and use them to satisfy their sexual needs and fetishes, whatever they might be. Some are quite sadistic and cruel, the malik being worst among them. He thrills at inflicting pain and making the slaves suffer. For the most part, though, these severe incidents are rare. The majority of royals treat the slaves fairly well.
As Teman and Jasim settle in, they befriend other slaves, and they become a close-knit group, almost like a family.
When Bathasar first spots Teman, he is fascinated by him and cannot stop thinking about him. One evening at a royal banquet, Teman intercedes and thwarts an assassination attempt. As a result, he is rewarded by being requested of Bathasar for the evening. This is when they make love the first time and fall in love. The remainder of the story is about their relationship.
I love the concept of this story, a would-be king falling in love with a slave. And I loved many of the characters, including both Teman and Bathasar. But I did have some issues with the story itself.
For one thing, the romance itself moved unrealistically fast. And when I say this I'm not disparaging love-at-first sight. I do think that's possible and does often occur. But with Bathasar being royalty, I found it hard to swallow that he'd declare his love for Teman so soon. Or vice-versa.
Also, many of the sex scenes were variations of the same theme. The author included a lot of sex that involved food. I kind of didn't get that. Sure, I am into it occasionally, but I'd have enjoyed a bit more variety. And part of the couple's sex play included denial and eventual release, meaning the slave was kept in chastity and teased for long periods of time before finally being allowed to achieve an orgasm. I did find that quite hot, but it was overused. In fact, I lost track of the number of times Teman was forced to endure extended chastity.
And I took issue with the "conditioning" the slaves received. I get that it was operant conditioning and that they were taught to become aroused when they heard bells chiming or smelled incense. They were also trained to withhold orgasm until given the command: COME! I've seen some of this in real life, but never even close to the degree it was depicted in this story. Honestly, I doubt it's possible, and even if it were possible, I'd think it would take an awful long time to train a slave to respond that way. No matter what a person's training is, if you stimulate them long enough, they will ejaculate.
The one thing I didn't really understand about the plot was the assassination scene that occurred toward the end of the story. Teman was chosen to be the malik's sex slave to distract the malik and thus allow the assassin to have a clear shot. This was all part of this complex scheme, a coup of sorts. Well, Teman didn't actually do anything. He was just there to be the distraction, and they could have used any slave for that purpose. Why would Bathasar send his own lover, the person he loved with all his heart, and put him in harm's way like that? I might have missed something; I don't know. Also, they waited until Teman was beaten and bloody, tortured within an inch of his life, until they sent in the assassin to kill the bastard.
The aspect of the story I most loved was the process that Teman went through as he came to the realization that he had a choice in regards to being Bathasar's "slave". This is much like modern-day BDSM. The submissive and dominant partners fulfill each other, and although there is an exchange of power, the relationship is entirely consensual. When Teman realized that his submission was the greatest gift he had to offer his Master, it no longer seemed like slavery.
Overall it was a well-written story with a lot of steamy scenes. The romance was touching, and the fetish was wicked hot. It was definitely a worthwhile read.
Thus begins the training and conditioning of the new slaves. This process is explained in graphic detail, including numerous intense sexual bondage scenes.
Simultaneously, another story is unfolding involving the royalty that occupies the palace. Bathasar is the amir, next in line for the throne. His father is malik, and Bathasar realizes that one day he will assume the throne, yet he is not thrilled by the idea. He has a much younger brother, Seth, and it is Bathasar's hope that Seth will secede their father so Bathasar doesn't have to.
The royalty and their visiting dignitaries and guests have full access to the pleasure slaves and use them to satisfy their sexual needs and fetishes, whatever they might be. Some are quite sadistic and cruel, the malik being worst among them. He thrills at inflicting pain and making the slaves suffer. For the most part, though, these severe incidents are rare. The majority of royals treat the slaves fairly well.
As Teman and Jasim settle in, they befriend other slaves, and they become a close-knit group, almost like a family.
When Bathasar first spots Teman, he is fascinated by him and cannot stop thinking about him. One evening at a royal banquet, Teman intercedes and thwarts an assassination attempt. As a result, he is rewarded by being requested of Bathasar for the evening. This is when they make love the first time and fall in love. The remainder of the story is about their relationship.
I love the concept of this story, a would-be king falling in love with a slave. And I loved many of the characters, including both Teman and Bathasar. But I did have some issues with the story itself.
For one thing, the romance itself moved unrealistically fast. And when I say this I'm not disparaging love-at-first sight. I do think that's possible and does often occur. But with Bathasar being royalty, I found it hard to swallow that he'd declare his love for Teman so soon. Or vice-versa.
Also, many of the sex scenes were variations of the same theme. The author included a lot of sex that involved food. I kind of didn't get that. Sure, I am into it occasionally, but I'd have enjoyed a bit more variety. And part of the couple's sex play included denial and eventual release, meaning the slave was kept in chastity and teased for long periods of time before finally being allowed to achieve an orgasm. I did find that quite hot, but it was overused. In fact, I lost track of the number of times Teman was forced to endure extended chastity.
And I took issue with the "conditioning" the slaves received. I get that it was operant conditioning and that they were taught to become aroused when they heard bells chiming or smelled incense. They were also trained to withhold orgasm until given the command: COME! I've seen some of this in real life, but never even close to the degree it was depicted in this story. Honestly, I doubt it's possible, and even if it were possible, I'd think it would take an awful long time to train a slave to respond that way. No matter what a person's training is, if you stimulate them long enough, they will ejaculate.
The one thing I didn't really understand about the plot was the assassination scene that occurred toward the end of the story. Teman was chosen to be the malik's sex slave to distract the malik and thus allow the assassin to have a clear shot. This was all part of this complex scheme, a coup of sorts. Well, Teman didn't actually do anything. He was just there to be the distraction, and they could have used any slave for that purpose. Why would Bathasar send his own lover, the person he loved with all his heart, and put him in harm's way like that? I might have missed something; I don't know. Also, they waited until Teman was beaten and bloody, tortured within an inch of his life, until they sent in the assassin to kill the bastard.
The aspect of the story I most loved was the process that Teman went through as he came to the realization that he had a choice in regards to being Bathasar's "slave". This is much like modern-day BDSM. The submissive and dominant partners fulfill each other, and although there is an exchange of power, the relationship is entirely consensual. When Teman realized that his submission was the greatest gift he had to offer his Master, it no longer seemed like slavery.
Overall it was a well-written story with a lot of steamy scenes. The romance was touching, and the fetish was wicked hot. It was definitely a worthwhile read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2016
Fantastic, where do I begin? Easily, the best piece of MM/BDSM fiction I've read in the last year or maybe last couple years! For me this book was epic. Sure I agree what others have said about it being a little long is true but I really didn't have any problems with it as far as that is concerned. Sure there is also a lot of sex in it, every few pages there is a new sex scene but that didn't bother me either because I loved the whole thing too much. Let me start with the characters, this is a classic master/slave or you could say a rich man poor man story as we are dealing with a man who is in a royal position and another man who is in the lowly position of gypsy and thief. They are written so well I lived every moment of the story with them as it unfolded. I really felt the anguish that the situation caused between them but their love was so great that it made all of it worth something wonderful. I am dictating this right now and know the machine won't get any of the proper names used in the book correctly so please bear with me as I just talk about them as master and slave. The slave is a young man who is born a gypsy and a free man but he gets into some trouble and ends up as a palace pleasure slave in this fictional 1025 A.D. setting. The master is another young man who is next in line for the throne of this kingdom upon the death of his father. The father is a tyrant, a bully and shows no love for his two sons let alone any slaves he gets his hands on. When the gypsy is introduced to the court as a new pleasure slave the corrupt rulers eldest son sees him in there is an instant attraction. Now this man who I'm calling master doesn't agree with the whole pleasure slave concept and has never had one of his own. He is so entranced by the new slave however and he asks to have him one night and of course one thing leads to another and they fall in love. They have to deal with this whole master/slave thing and all goes well until the evil father starts to really become abusive toward the slaves to spite his son.
The plot then thickens here with how to get rid of the evil father who is the ruler of the country without implicating his son who is a good master to the new slave and in love with him. Amidst this backdrop there is such a tender love story of two young men for each other with elements of BDSM mixed in. For example there is a LOT of orgasm denial practiced here which seems to go on for days and days at a time almost making it seem impossible for anybody to be able to have such control. There is also a lot of the use of cock cages whereas the slaves are trained when and when not to have their orgasms. This of course is dictated by whoever uses the slaves which have given up any rights to control their own bodies.
At the end of the book the rich man poor man theme comes in and we are wondering how this master and slave can possibly stay together without the master losing his Royal position. At first I thought I knew how it would end but once I saw that I was wrong I came up with my next best ending and once again was wrong with this ending. With these twists and turns it becomes a real page turner to see just how it will end. I will leave it up to you to read to see just how it does end
The last thing I want to comment about is the narrator, Joel Leslie, who did a fantastic job in this book. At first I didn't like him and it took me a little bit to get used to him but boy did he grow on me! You knew exactly who was talking at all times with him and the fantastic voices and accents he used. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by him in the future. To wrap it up, an easy five stars all the way down for story and narration and highly recommended.
The plot then thickens here with how to get rid of the evil father who is the ruler of the country without implicating his son who is a good master to the new slave and in love with him. Amidst this backdrop there is such a tender love story of two young men for each other with elements of BDSM mixed in. For example there is a LOT of orgasm denial practiced here which seems to go on for days and days at a time almost making it seem impossible for anybody to be able to have such control. There is also a lot of the use of cock cages whereas the slaves are trained when and when not to have their orgasms. This of course is dictated by whoever uses the slaves which have given up any rights to control their own bodies.
At the end of the book the rich man poor man theme comes in and we are wondering how this master and slave can possibly stay together without the master losing his Royal position. At first I thought I knew how it would end but once I saw that I was wrong I came up with my next best ending and once again was wrong with this ending. With these twists and turns it becomes a real page turner to see just how it will end. I will leave it up to you to read to see just how it does end
The last thing I want to comment about is the narrator, Joel Leslie, who did a fantastic job in this book. At first I didn't like him and it took me a little bit to get used to him but boy did he grow on me! You knew exactly who was talking at all times with him and the fantastic voices and accents he used. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by him in the future. To wrap it up, an easy five stars all the way down for story and narration and highly recommended.
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