The Prisoner

Broken #1

by Kol Anderson

Note: Original cover edition for ASIN# B00DAI2Z6Q

Aaron Taylor has been working at an escort company for the past six months. Just when life seems to have gotten better and he is beginning to think that he has a grasp of this line of work, his handler sends him to a new client. Vincent Greene looks like he might just be Aaron’s best client yet but he doesn't know the extent of Vincent's cruelty.

Tags: GAY, MM, EROTICA, BDSM, RAPE, KIDNAP, KIDNAPPING, RAPE FANTASY, SEX INDUSTRY, MALE PROSTITUTE, SEX WORKER

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Dark, Abuse, Erotica, Contemporary, Gay

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2013

About the author

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”
― Oscar Wilde

If you're into the fluffier side of life, you have my blessing but will you please take the next exit. For the rest of you depraved pervs, enjoy your stay ;)

https://www.facebook.com/Kolandersonb...

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because what doesn't kill you, can still leave you BROKEN

Holy Fuck!!! This is the type of book I love… something that gets the adrenaline spiking and the heart racing, Its dark, Intense, powerful, raw and gritty, one shit storm of emotion, never letting up and keeping you engrossed and ANGRY!!! A word to the wise, read the blurb, as there is no romance involved in this yet, and I say that hesitantly as this is the first book in a series that already has me hooked. The writing is not perfect, but neither is mine and I am certainly no literary expert, what I can tell you is that any niggles were completely overlooked as I was totally engrossed in what was happening and couldn't read this fast enough, it is compelling reading and getting to the end, I was gutted… I wanted more… NOW!!! …but it looks like yet another series that has me chomping at the bit and waiting for the next book.



This did remind me of another series I love, but this is different in that it’s not quite as polished, it’s a rough diamond and at times I felt detached from what was happening rather than being in there with Aaron, not always feeling his pain, more that I was angry at those causing it. Aarons abuse and torture is more physical than psychological, his abuser uses drugs plus violence and fear to control him and although it plays at the mind fuck game, I wasn’t feeling it, I felt it was really the addiction to the drugs that were controlling his mind.

There is almost so much going on here, I don’t quite know where to start, I feel the author packed a lot into this novella, and not a minute was wasted and we are pretty much thrown straight into the action with Aaron meeting Sebastian, his lover and one time client, an argument ensues and already I was getting ticked off with Sebastian who was pouting and sulking that Aaron was going to meet a new client, bearing in mind Sebastian is fully aware of Aarons occupation as a Male Escort and he himself has a boyfriend… Eric, who also happens to be cheating on Sebastian. Sounds confusing but in effect it was really well played by the author bringing in each characters POV with their scenes being played separately.

Vincent Greene is the client in question, 30ish, dark hair and eyes… and he’s HOT! However Vince is no normal client which soon becomes apparent to Aaron when he is attacked and drugged, waking up in a cell, alone and with no idea what the hell is going on… that is until Vince informs him that Aaron is just what he’s ordered, a prostitute, without friends or family, sold to him by the company he worked for and is now his property to do with as he pleases… and no one looking for him… or so he thinks!?!

So begins Aarons training which is relentless, he has no comprehension of the whys and wherefores of what is now his existence, all he knows is the solitude, pain, hurt, the feeling of being humiliated and dehumanised, he is beaten and abused, degraded and raped at the hands of sadists to the point where Aaron doesn't think he can survive, longing for death as an escape… instead he is fed a steady stream of drugs, becoming addicted and craving the small amount of peace he finds in his oblivion.

Vince is one sick fuck! to him, Aaron is a commodity, his property investment and he will manipulate him by any means necessary because for Vince it is all about the money, he is ruthless and desensitized to the hurt and pain of others, he has a job to do and his client wants a sweet young thing as a slave and he is willing to pay a high price to get exactly that and Vince will deliver, and he will break Aaron and have his big payday!!

Whilst all this is happening to poor Aaron, Sebastian and Eric are playing their own roles in the background. Sebastian, is weak and was really pissing me off for still sitting on the emotional fence, although he is actually worried and actively looking for Aaron, so that’s one redeemable quality. Eric is an arse and a selfish prick who has the cheek to feel disgruntled that Sebastian was having an affair when he himself is fucking countless anonymous male escorts… and then we have Vince, castration would be too good for this bastard! …or is he? Is there some humanity left in him? Mmm…  Kol Anderson has created some very unlikable characters, that got under my skin and caused all kinds of anxiety, frustration but above all anger, it was a white knuckle ride for me and my kindle!!! …and the only innocent in this whole sorry mess is the one person who is actually living a nightmare… Aaron, for him my heart was breaking with one particular scene bringing me to tears it was so gut wrenching and harrowing to see how lost he was. So we have three characters that had my blood boiling and one who had my heart breaking… and to evoke so much emotion from such a quick read, I feel the author is onto a winner and I am excited to see what comes next, in this series, and from the author.

This is debut from Kol Anderson and I know very little about the author, from reading the Facebook page it seems there will be more to offer and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the next book in the Broken series will be out in July!?!

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING! This review may cause spontaneous bleeding of the ears.

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCKITY FUCK THAT WAS GOOD!!!

Shout out to my fave reading buddy Ann for holding my hand through this. ♥Much love!♥

Let me just start by saying that Kol Anderson is a genius! He got me to CARE about some of the sickest, most twisted fucks I have ever read about. Kol, your powers of persuasion and manipulation freak me the fuck out! How did you DO that???? I both like and hate Vincent at the same time. I'm horrified with myself! Especially since I seem to have more of a fondness for Vincent than even Aaron! What the Hell is WRONG with me???

This book pushed my buttons, my limits and may even have pushed me to my knees. I never thought that I would ever be interested in reading about torture and rape and be made to care about not just the victim but the predator as well. Hats off to you Mr. Anderson! Fucking bravo, man!

[Emma Sea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious, mechanical torturesex composed with all the passion of a census form.

So poorly written and devoid of all sexual charge that, even though it's tiny in length, I DNFd at 79%.

And please, someone, throw Kol Anderson a bucketful of commas.

[M'rella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, Kol, I am partial to young, cute and abused, so I bought it, but this book should have never left your computer without someone proofreading it first. And I don't mean a friend or a neighbor, unless of course they are qualified.

I thought I had a WTH shelf, added especially for books like this one, along with Topping Timothy, Mortal Enemies, Cake or Calor del Amor, but I guess not :(
Going to fix it right now.

I am not going to say anything more about the quality of the book, mostly because I don't even know where to begin, there are so many faults, and I am afraid I will never finish.

A piece of advice to readers, though:
For the love of all things dark and twisted, please, move along and go get the real stuff: The Flesh Cartel #1: Capture, Pain and . . . pain? (not very well edited either, but it's a freebee!), Skin Deep, The Island.

If you are into more of the same - abuse, rent boys, bad master-turn lover, but readable and enjoyable without characters who have er... no character - sorry, bad writing rubs off.... - PM me, I will send you a nice long list.

PS I will not be buying the next installment.

PPS Oh, did I mention setting broken bones (that are so broken, they poke through the skin) in one short home visit. True story!

[Kynthos-the-Archer (Kyn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars for now due to some niggling aspect I can't shake off or really pin-point. Maybe blame it on reading this one right after a super dark read, The Darkest Prison which was unquestionably disturbing. So much so that it makes reading this one much milder. I am not saying that this isn't good enough. It was just my mindset at that point of time. Come to think of it, I did jump from one bleak prison scene to another one just as bleak. Lol. :P

Aaron Taylor is a highly sought after escort although he has just started six months ago. He has just turned twenty-one and was ecstatic to have found mutual love with a client, Sebastian Summers. Unfortunately, Sebastian came with excess baggage in the form of a long-term-partner of 7 years of which Sebastian is having a tough time leaving him behind for Aaron.

Vincent Greene's sudden appearance into Aaron's life literally turn his world upside-down. The abrupt twist of event, lead Aaron into an unknown hell on earth he did not once thought was possible. Not in a million years would he thought of himself as an 'abductor's dream' his sadistic kidnapper had claimed him to be. Yet, deep down inside he cannot help but to despair as he knew he really had no one.

Little did he know that he did have someone who cares enough and determined enough to find out the truth behind his disappearance.


I've finished it today and here's a glimpse of what it brought to the table...

- Kidnapping - very forceful. Not the hit you behind the head kind.
- Drugging / Forced Drug Addiction
- Dominance & Submission
- Sex Slave Training - brutal rapes and beatings apart from drugging
- Rapes / Gang-bang - brutal
- Whipping / Belting - no subspace but scream your head off kind
- Captivity / Confinement - very restricted freedom
- Human Trafficking
- Crime Org / Mafia
- Crime Investigation - I am expecting more of this in the next book. In this book, it was only glossed over.
- Infidelity / Unfaithfulness
- Long term same-sex couple - falling out / crisis
- Betrayal
- Delusional character - he is kind of sadistic and not so right up there. And he gets excited hearing his sex partner screams in pain.
- Bondage / Restraints

This is definitely, not PWP. And I want to know what's going to happen next after finishing it. It's a dark-read and quite realistically written.


See, even the book cover and poster promises a dark story behind it:



Excerpt: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

Grab it here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Prisoner-BR...

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, where do I start . . . . .

- I had to read this with a pal (thanks to Jenni Lea for holding my hand and making it not so scary :)

- I had to create a whole new shelf to hold this one

- I pretty much hate everybody

- I'm hooked and have to read the next one and I don't want to, but I want to, but I don't want to, etc., etc.

Explaining my points above:

Definitely read this one with a friend. Just like you would do with anything scary or squinchy, having a pal along makes the scary better. If you are squeamish, run away like you are on fire.

This definitely belongs on my new fubar shelf. Fubar doesn't mean bad here, it just means exactly what the acronym stands for.

I do pretty much hate everyone in this book. Aaron is the only main character with redeeming qualities at this point and that's because he's the victim. We really don't know him beyond his rentboy and victim status, but nobody deserves what he is being put through. Except maybe for Vincent. Vincent is one seriously fucked up individual, but he's also the reason I need to read the next installment. Kudos to Kol for writing a character I hate but want to know more about. Eric and Sebastian? Don't get me started. Although at this point Sebastian is the only championing for Aaron, even so, he's no good guy either.

I have to read the next one. I will have to have a ritual Mary Calmes, Anne Tenino happy cleansing fest of fluffy love first, but I will be reading the next one. I'm pretty sure it's going to get worse before it gets better. That seems to be the theme here and I'm already planning for an anti HEA regardless of what happens.

Couple of minor quibbles that squinched me out more than some of the things that should have. Stinky man crotches - blech! Complete lack of lube - I get it's torture, but that can't really be optimal for the giver either. Getting Aaron hooked on the drugs while training him to be a slave - this is going to sound totally weird, but that kind of seemed like cheating. Vincent kept referring to breaking him mentally, but using the drugs seemed like a bit of a cop out even if it makes complete sense. I have no idea why that of all things bothered me. But, if I overanalyze any of this I'm going to spend the rest of my Sunday drunk.

So, definitely a good read. This is one where you can hate the subject but still appreciate the work. I didn't get to have the crutch of saying "This writing is awful, the subject matter is distasteful and I'm out." The writing is good so if I tap out it's because it's too distasteful. And, it is. But, it speaks to the dark, dank loamy part of my brain where the dark things grow that won't let me walk away without knowing what happens. Good or bad.

Dammit Kol. (I think I ended another review of his the same way :) - should probably get used to that.

[Amber Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book. I was surprised how short it was. I wish it would have been longer cause, I felt kind of rush in it. But, then again I did get about 4 different POV's. I usually don't mind the multiple POV's unless, I feel there was no need from them, and honestly I see 2 POV's that I feel do not need to be there.

I am not going to go into the whole story since it is short and that would just pretty much just tell you the whole thing. I will say that Aaron has been sold/abducted. Vincent is a evil man who probably needs his head cut off. But I like him. Is it wrong for me to like the guy that is horrible and evil in this book? Probably but I don't care. I seem to always go for the BAD guys. And Vince is pretty bad I might say so.

Warning though- This book contains rape, drug addiction, gang rape, abuse.



I did find some errors in the writing but not something that would make me want to lower my rating for. I do know that this book hooked me. There is a second book already out which I will be starting once I finish this review. This book is really good. I enjoyed it that's for sure. It is dark, twisted, fucked up. It can get pretty brutal which I was totally fine with. I had no issues regarding that but like I said in the warning above not for the faint of heart.

The end though. I did have an issue with the end. I felt it was cheesy. I didn't like the end. It's hard to express without giving anything away so do not click spoiler unless you have read the book. I don't like Sebastian nor Eric. I feel that there is no point for them to be in the book at all. I know this is totally fucked up on my part but I wish the beginning with Sebastian was the only part of him in the book and left it as that. I like Vince, I want Vince to come through for me and I want him to end up taking Aaron like how I want him too. But Sebastian and Eric are fucking up with my game plan I have in my mind. Ya... I am not sure what is going to happen in the next book. There are about 3 maybe 4 ways I can see it ending but who knows.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review written for The Blog of Sid Love

It doesn’t take long for this story to get going. Once Aaron meets Vincent, things happen quickly and not for the better, that’s for sure. This was a super quick read for me, and even though I don’t think it needed to be much more drawn out than it was, there were parts I wish weren’t quite so glossed over.

There are a number of things going on here. Sebastian falls for Aaron the rentboy, but doesn’t want to give up his boyfriend, Eric, who is also cheating with rentboys. Aaron doesn’t want to give up his rentboy ways, for a number of reasons, and then goes to meet his next client, Vincent. Vincent abducts Aaron and attempts to break and turn him into a willing slave for a rich client. Poor Aaron endures an endless amount of pain, not to mention forced drug addiction.

Vincent eventually thinks he has some feelings for Aaron, but will it ever be enough to save him? Not sure. Thankfully, Sebastian has not given up on Aaron and is now convinced something happened and is attempting to find him. So, there are a few different scenarios at play here. Unfortunately, we are left hanging, and I really did not want this story to end where it did. I really hope we don’t have to wait too terribly long to find out what happens with everyone.

[carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this story. I hated what happened to Aaron. Vince and his associates, well, I could cut their genitals and stuff them into their orifices until breathing ceased, and use a baseball bat on their skeletal remains.

I refuse to log this as BDSM, as it gives consensual BDSM practice a bad name. It gives non consensual and most darker themed stories a bad name.

Kids exist like Aaron, no secure or happy childhood, end up as rent boys to exist, maybe looking for a relationship, caring and consensual opportunities that bring them close to another human being...starved of love...confuse it for lust.

Then scum like Vincent and cronies sadly also exist, sick evil predators, but I would hope not to the level of depravity and twisted logic of thinking in this story...that he might CARE about Aaron, while actually getting the kid drug dependent and torturing him to forced submission.

That someone actually feels so bad as Aaron did after the brutal beatings and rapes they want to kill themselves is bad, awful.

No, I can't say other than I hate this...first story I have hated.

I had reservations about The Flesh Cartel, but this is one further step out of tune from that.
Best I can give is one star as did not like it, but no category that doesn't quite cover how vile I found this.

[AnnaLund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy hell, but that was intense. Sorry, Mr Anderson, did not finish this.

Not because you can't write, because By God you can. You write like the wind.

Simply because I am made of softer matter than needed for this story. I am simply not strong enough, and the writing is so real, so frighteningly realistic that I ended up wailing, screaming, crying.

Too much for me. But WOW for writing skills. It takes a lot to turn me into a shivering, shaking mess of a frightened little girl.

You did. Kudos. I just can't go there.

I kind of love that you pushed me so far over the edge, though, and that's why there are four stars to my DNF book.

(I'm sure someone will come and tell me you aren't allowed to give 4 stars for unfinished books, but I really don't care).

This was very well written. So much so it scared the crap outta me.

[Jason Bradley]

I ignored lack of editing, and awkward and boring dialogue. But this is supposed to be so dark and taboo... right? So a guy starves and drugs a young prostitute then puts him on his knees with a gun to his head. What vile thing will he force this boy to do? ~gasp~ no! not that! The poor boy must be broken if he will...give a random man a blow job!

And that's when I stopped reading.

Merged review:

I ignored lack of editing, and awkward and boring dialogue. But this is supposed to be so dark and taboo... right? So a guy starves and drugs a young prostitute, then puts him on his knees with a gun to his head. What vile thing will he force this boy to do? ~gasp~ no! not that! The poor boy must be broken if he will...give a random man a blow job! Did I mention the boy does that for a living...

And that's when I stopped reading.

[Louis Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release date: May 5 2016

Kol Anderson is getting ready to wrap up his celebrated The Prisoner series with its final instalment.
But first, he's releasing seasons 1 & 2 in anniversary editions on Amazon, followed by the season 3 bundle which will include the final instalment to this trailblazing series that brought dark MM erotica into the mainstream.

If you haven't read Kol's The Prisoner series yet, it's never been a better time as you can binge on entire seasons in one go!
If you already have, buy the anniversary edition which has been re-edited and features brand new and unbelievably sexy content!

Amazon author page link: http://goo.gl/HreUAw

Goodreads link: https://goo.gl/hxPfDa

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great start to a dark, twisted, heartbreaking story. Definitely not for the faint of heart, there is kidnapping, brutal rape scenes, and forced drug addiction. Aaron's predicament is horrifying and heartbreaking.

With a cliff hanger ending, there is just so much going on here, with so many potential outcomes and I don't know where I want it to go at this point.

While spelling and editing issues tend to bother me, they weren't so bad as to diminish my enjoyment and since it is self-published, first time effort (and the price was right) I will be a bit lenient, though I hope the next installment is a little better proof read (and comes out quickly!).

[Shelley]

Sorry, but I have nothing nice to say about this.

It was bloody awful.

Automated torture sex with cardboard characters, copious amounts of melodrama, unrealistic scenarios, underdeveloped characterisation, uninspired dialog, rudimentary writing with non-existent editing.

Oh boy.

That is all I have to say about that.

[LiveYourLife BuyTheBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars - KAPOW

Oh wow... I have no clue how to review this without spoilers... but I will try.

First off we have Aaron. A beautiful, blue eyed, blond haired boy. He is a prostitute, working for a top rated agency. He is well aware that his employers are not to be messed with but when he falls for one of his clients, Sebastion, he just can't help himself - he starts meeting him off the clock. He has no idea about he depth of the evil that his boss will go to however :-(

Next we have Sebastion. He has been with Eric for 7 years - the itchy period.... and they are both scratching :-) The difference is Eric views his extra curricular activities as just fucks; whereas Sebastion has genuinely fallen for Aaron. Eric seems a bit of a dick - a hypocritical dick! But he does at least see that in himself. Sebastion seems to want his cake and to eat it - but come on, he has been with Eric 7 years - to rush to end that after falling for a prostitute just wouldn't ring true.

Very early in the book Sebastion and Aaron meet up, but Aaron can't stay long as he has a meeting with a new client. Vincent. He is good looking and Aaron thinks hmmm sometimes he gets to enjoy his work, even as he is wondering how he will please this new john. It always takes time to get to know what they like, what they want, what they expect and Aaron soon discovers that Vince is like no other client. Ever. But damned if I don't like him (at some level) it's always the mean, bad (sexy) arseholes that have me hoping for my favourite character - The Redeemed Bastard!!

And I kinda have to leave it there. You know by the blurb that there is some heavy stuff in this book. Kidnap, rape, torture - Aaron is already a prostitute, willing to sell his body. So to "train" him to submit totally (and that "training" is tortuous to say the least) makes it pretty clear that the level of prostitution that his new owner requires is going to be pretty hard core stuff.

I am hooked. As a total romantic I am already looking at the angles - Sebastion still loves Eric, but will he save the day and rescue Aaron and ride off into the sunset together? Aaron is using Sebastion and his fantasies of him to get him through his awful ordeals - but this sweet capitulation to Vincent makes Vince see Aaron as more than a commodity. Will this be a Stockholm Syndrome scenario? Waaaa!!! Will I go insane?

For those that are picky - you will pick on editing issues and to you I say pffft this story is compelling and addictive - I don't give a toss if there is the odd word misused - it never detracted from the story as a whole or knocked me of course... I am holding tight... locked in for the next installment. Bring. It. On !!

Review previously posted at Live Your Life, Buy The Book

[La-Lionne · Rating 1 out of 5]

***1 star***


It's a completely unrealistic story.
I couldn't stand the whining captive. I get it, a person in his situation is allowed to complain about being in sh*t over his head, but what annoyed the hell out of me was the fact that he was in disbelieve that captor was doing all those things to him. Like he owed him something. Why the hell not? You don't know that person, you don't know what he is capable of, why are you shocked?

And Vincent's watching him, watching him do this to me.

I got the impression that our captive had some kind of expectations of Vincent. He was shocked that Vincent let all those things happen. Why? Vincent is not his friend, not his brother or a boyfriend. He is a man who bought him for an hour of fun and then decided to kidnap him (or at least that's what the captive knew). Where did those expectations of him being better man came from. Vincent treated him like dirt all that time and he was: why is he doing this to me? Like Vincent not suppose to be doing that.
Completely ridiculous. One eye roll for every time hero opened his mouth. Gave up at 60%.

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was violent and deeply disturbing, but so well written that I had to carry on until the end, it was gripping. The brutal story of Aaron, a rent boy who thinks he may have found love at last with one of his clients Sebastian, but before things can go any further, is hired by a complete nutter called Vince and kidnapped so that Vince can 'train' him for a client who needs a complete submissive. 4 stars

All I kept thinking was 'For God's Sake Aaron, hold on to that dream that you may get to be with Sebastian one day, let that your light at the end of this vicious, sadistic, terror-filled nightmare of an existence'...I was heartbroken and so terrified for him.

Readers, please be aware : there is rape (mostly non-con, but also dub-con), torture...both mental and physical, sensory deprivation, drug addiction, but if you are prepared to broaden your comfort zone, this is an excellent read. I know that some people have said it's a poor man's 'The Flesh Cartel' by Rachel Haimowitz, but as I haven't read that series of books, I wasn't bothered by that at all. Many thanks Kol because I know that things like this do actually happen, the human sex slave trade....disgusting!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the hell did I just read?? Wow, that was definitely dark and disturbing. And not for the faint of heart! Rentboys, kidnapping, brutal rape and torture, forced drug addiction. It was intense and so very captivating. I honestly could not put it down. Read the whole thing in one sitting and I’ve already got book #2 queued up to read next. This is definitely a 5-star read for me. There’s no romance; it’s not a light and fluffy read. If that’s what you’re in to, this is not for you. But if you want to book that sucks you in, makes your heart race, and leaves your mind reeling, I highly recommend this one.

[Silkeeeeeereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNINGS: Rape, Gang Rape, Heavy S and M , attempted suicide, drug addiction, VERY DARK EROTIC THRILLER

Kol has taken a story of a good looking male prostitute who has fallen in love with a client and twisted it just so.  It is now a nightmare than no one should have to live through. This book is a little raw but I'm hoping Kol let's go of himself long enough to bring all of the characters to life. I feel he's holding back a little which makes me, as the reader hold back on becoming emotionally involved with the characters. It's still a very good read.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

$0.99 right now on Amazon guys! 8/9/13!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was:

Disturbing

Violent

Brutal

I felt sick while reading this.... and still couldn't stop.

Seriously, there must be something wrong with me... :)

[♥Laddie♥ (Lee Lee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Have No Words...Wait...Yes I Do

Good lord almighty don't ever save me from the beautiful mind fuck that is Kol Anderson's screwed up fictional world. This book turned me out more than Slave and I did NOT think that was possible.

Aaron is an escort who's in love with Sebastian, who started out as one of his clients. One night Aaron leaves Sebastian to go and meet Vincent who is a new client. Vincent seems like a regular guy at first, if supremely good looking. He's nice...until he's not so nice anymore. Shit goes downhill reaaaaaaaally FUCKING FAST! I wasn't ready y'all. I. Was. Not. Ready.

Vincent turns out to be one of the most twisted, money hungry, pain hungry, son of a bitches ever. The things he puts Aaron through made me want crawl out of my skin. The worst parts were when Vincent was being nice. I just wanted him to stop...just stop. Well, I wanted him to stop until there's some little glimmer of him maybe softening toward Aaron. And this is where Kol Anderson fucks my shit all up AGAIN just like in Slave. I thought to myself that maybe Vincent would redeem himself and rescue Aaron. What is wrong with me?! How does this author get me to want the most screwed up of characters to somehow fall in love??? It's crazy!

There's so much more to this story but I don't know how to comment on it until I get some resolution in book two. I don't know how to comment other than "GIMME MORE!!".

[Dee Wy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please pay attention to the "dark" tag. This is not a romance and is steeped in non-con sex including off-screen rape. At times it's pretty difficult to handle the story, but like a train wreck, I couldn't look away, never considered putting it down. I just had to know how it ended. Can Aaron be saved?

I thought the author did a great job with the story, even though it's not something I'd want to read more than once in a long while, I give the author credit for keeping me engrossed in this abduction/slave training story until the very last page.

This collection includes the first three novellas, and I just realized there are several more already published. Oh, gawd, the story continues and I'm not going to be able to NOT read them.

NOTE: This book will be featured as Book of the Month on the BDSM Group in May 2015. Please join us for a spirited discussion.

[Sandi ♥'s way too many M/M books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus fucking help me! Im torn, Im shattered I want to beat the living hell out of Vincent. I want to hurt him, badly! Aaron my god the torment and the hell this beautiful man is going through, I'm just broken for him. Thats all i've got right now Im still lost in my head at this point. And might have been having a fit had I not had the 2nd book to jump right into after that ending. Kol to be in your brain Uh WOW!

[Caroline Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE

Kol Anderson is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors!
This book is twisted, dark, terrifying, brutal, sadistic, vicious, painful, barbaric, ruthless and unbelievingly good! If this is your sort of thing then you have hit upon a winner as Kol Anderson gives us the ultimate in disturbing without any attempts at making it fluffy to save your delicate senses.
It is given to us in 3 parts and the first is very aptly called The Prisoner. This is where we meet Aaron who is a high class rent boy. Although he doesn’t mind his job after meeting and falling for Sebastian a former client he is starting to wonder if there is more to life. Before he has a chance to work out whether Sebastian is ‘the one’ he is introduced to a new client by the name of Vincent. New clients always make Aaron nervous but Vince seems ok.....until he injects something into his neck and kidnaps him and he wakes up in hell.
Vince works for a company that supplies subs/slaves to the wealthy and sadistic. The plan is to break Aaron then retrain him as a slave before his ownership is handed over to his new master. This is a business that commands and lot of money and it is heartbreaking to think that this really happens. There is nothing redeeming about Vince initially. His chosen tools are rape and torture and he uses both a lot! He has a job to do and doesn’t care how much pain and fear he has to instil in Aaron as long as he ends up with the required product. With the use of drugs that will lead to an addiction and a powerful bargaining tool and terror Aaron slowly starts to submit but he never totally succumbs and draws his strength from memories of Sebastian.
As all this is happening to Aaron we also see things from Sebastians point of view. He is worried sick about his lover and is trying desperately to find out what has happened to him. This is further complicated by the fact that Sebastian is married to Eric. Sebastian still loves his husband Eric and although Eric has been cheating on him constantly he feels immense guilt and confusion and tries to hide his worry and impending meltdown.
The second part is Hell and Beyond and that is a very apt description. Aarons constant torture and abuse is ongoing but at some point he actually starts to feel safe with Vince. Given that the other people that are brought in to ‘train’ him are far worse you can’t really blame him. Vince is starting to worry about feelings he is developing for Aaron but it all comes to a head when Vinces boss gets word that people are starting to ask questions about his organisation....it seems Sebastian is finally getting closer to the truth and ruffling a few feathers. Vince is ordered to teach Aaron a lesson. Vince hates the actions he must take and Aaron is devastated that the small amount of trust he had in the man is completely lost as he is left for dead.
The third part is The Escape and as the title suggest Aaron finally gets out of his hell although he has no memory of who helped him. I won’t say too much about this part as it is new. He wakes up in the hospital absolutely broken both physically and mentally with Sebastian at his side. Although not pleased Eric agrees that Aaron can come and live with them whilst he tries to recover. Having his freedom back isn’t giving Aaron the joy he expected and he finds it increasingly difficult to adjust. Reverting back to an old habit helps in the short term but complicates his relationship with Sebastian and Eric. There are not many endings that catch me out but this one was a true WTF and where the hell did that come from. I really hope there will be another book in the future to tie up the loose ends as that bugger needs dealing with and not in a nice way!!!

[JR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I write anything, I want to say that I want this to have 4 1/2 stars. Since we can't do increments, I'm including it here.
This is my first book by Mr. Anderson, I'm happy to say it won't be my last. He writes in a very easy style, one that I found very enjoyable, in spite of the subject matter.
This is the story of a rent boy named Aaron who is having an affair with a married man Sebastian. As is with most affairs, Aaron knows what he wants, Sebastian is on the fence since he loves both Aaron and his husband Erik. Life for Aaron takes a nasty turn when a first time client, Vincent, kidnaps Aaron, subjects him to torture, drugs, and various nasty scenarios.
It is probably inevitable that this will be compared to Flesh Cartel, which I did since I have read both. The difference, for me, a BIG difference, where Flesh Cartel is unrelenting "misery porn",this story lets the reader breathe. You feel for Aaron, but you never sink into total darkness. Regardless of what happens, there was a tiny ray of hope. I like rays of hope.
This is a first in the series, so I have the second book ready to read. I am looking forward to it. This isn't for everyone, but if you want to come out of your comfort zone or you have read Flesh Cartel, then I urge you to give this a try.

[Heidi Belleau]

I couldn't do this one. Amateurish writing and clunky dialogue, and so many ellipses I felt like it was narrated by William Shatner.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Lord for the man named Sebastian. Over to #2

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

For full disclosure this novel was given to me for review by the author, Kol Anderson. However, my review is unbiased and based on my opinion only.

This is a going to be a difficult review for me to write, not because of quality, but rather because of how the book made me feel.

I normally don’t read torture books, I don’t watch movies like Saw, and I don’t read books that are episodic. I normally read a happy, mindless (and sometimes suspenseful story) that conclude on an upbeat note. The Prisoner book is nothing like that, but rather an intensely gritty, horrific, and moving story about a man who becomes a sex slave.

Basic Plot:

Aaron Taylor is a prostitute (escort service) who is meeting a new client after a fight with his boyfriend, Sebastian. What turns out to be more than just a new client, Vincent Greene is a kidnapper who works for a sex slave trade organization. Now Aaron is really in hell, will anyone save him? Or does no one care about his pain? Will there be enough of Aaron to even be worth saving?

Background:

This review will be slightly different from my other ones, because this really isn’t a typical romance. In fact, I would not even say that it is one. It is more about a man’s deep dive into a terrifying new life as a sex slave. There are no laughs and no fun. This is a story about a man’s self-discovery and this only covers the first conflict. So if there is any character development, it is only Aaron and we are only see the beginning chapters, so to speak.

Aaron Taylor:

Early on in the story we come to realize that while he tries to make Sebastian (his lover who is currently in a serious relationship with someone else), he still feels alone and isolated:

Aaron’s lips broke into a grin. What would a guy who’s had a protected childhood and even more protected adulthood know about being the mature one? ”I’m just used to it. You can’t be a homeless teenager and not grow up.”

The smile still plastered on his face, Sebastian was looking at Aaron with fondness, his hands still glued to Aaron’s face as if he would never let go. ”Please, don’t give up on me.”

So early on, we get the impression that Aaron doesn’t have anyone to really save him. When the “bad stuff” happens, we are just left devastated and desolate.

What Does Episodic Mean?

There are other series like this, and as a whole, I try to say away from dark books. But I felt like expanding my comfort zone. And to be honest, this book was way past my comfort zone. So, when reading this book, think of this as being the first episode of Supernatural or Teen Wolf , you will not get a conclusion, but really more like the end of Act 1. There is a second book (Hell and Beyond) coming out in July 2013, which continues the story. Although I doubt that we will get any “happier” in that one.

Strong Points:

I am not sure how the author researched sex slave training, but Anderson seemed to have an effective way of bringing the reader into the experience. The descriptions of the events, the feelings and the mental state of Aaron as he looses himself, was potent. We felt like we were there, and every humiliation felt like our own.

Aaron no longer knew what to say to him. He felt like he was being hit by things that had no sense being in his world. These were things you heard about, that you didn’t even talk about most of the time because you didn’t want to believe they happened and now it was happening to him…

What could be better?

Some other complaints that I read of reviewers was on some copy editing issues. However, other than the abundance of “…”, I really did not notice anything that was too distracting. I also read the second version, so perhaps the previous version had issue that the author corrected. The formatting of the e-book was a little unusual and was intrusive. I will say that my score decreased because of the editorial issues.

Conclusions:

It is hard to really say what my conclusions are because the story is not done. Because of the nature of a serial story, this is only the beginning and it is an intense opening parry. If you like, violent, torturous story lines that will only leave you crying, then this book is for you. Please keep in mind that this is a brutal book when it comes to sex, so if you have any trauma experience, I would hesitate to recommend this book to you. I can not say that I would have bought this book without getting it for review, but I am glad that I did. I certainly learned something about myself and I learned gratefulness for the security and love of my family and friends.

[Jeanne 'Divinae' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was tittering on 3-4 stars. I finally want with four, because I can't stop thinking about it. This is NOT light and fluffy AT ALL. It is very HEAVY. I didn't expect it to be easy(emotional) but this was the on the other end. I haven't continued it yet for a couple of reasons. The second installment is not the final one(so I have read in other people's reviews). Second, I really needed to step away and read something light and fluffy and let this story sink in. It was HARD to read, because it is very life like. Be for warned, this story entells abuse.

Poor Aaron. Really, I feel bad for our main MC. He hasn't had the best life, but was living it to the best of his abilities. He finally met someone who cared for him as a person, perhaps even truly loves him. Though the relationship isn't the best(the other man is married). So, he reluctantly goes to 'work' to see a client, instead of ditching him for his boyfriend. At first this new client, Victor, seems like a nice guy. But it literally turns to hell quickly.

Aaron was sold by his pimp. If that isn't bad enough, Aaron is being 'trained'. He is tortured physically, emotionally, psychologically. He is being broken(hints the title). On top of that, his new captives have got him addicted to drugs. It is hard to watch(read) what Aaron is put through.

Also, in this first story, Aaron acts out. Unlike other stories I have read, Aaron actually acts in a way I expect him too. Everyday it seems to get worse for Aaron. But his hopes for his boyfriend looking for him keeps him going. His boyfriend... yea. I am not the biggest fan of him either but at least he does seem to care of Aaron as a person.

Victor, the kidnapper/captor. What can I say about him? He doesn't understand exactly why he sees Aaron differently. Even though he doesn't realize it, he sees Aaron more as a person than the other 'products' they are 'training'. Not that I like him. I really don't. He sits back and WATCHES and even partakes with Aaron's 'training'. I really can't wait to see how this will play out on Victor's end. As of now, I still want the man and his organization to fall into the pits of Hedes and have Karma return their ways 3-fold. I feel that even if/when Victor realizes he has actually feelings for Aaron, it is too late. I don't think there is no way to every apologize for what he has done to Aaron.