Strain

Strain #2

by Amelia C. Gormley

In a world with little hope and no rules, the only thing they have to lose is themselves.

Rhys Cooper is a dead man. Cut off from the world since childhood, he’s finally exposed to the lethal virus that wiped out most of the human race. Now his only hope for survival is infection by another strain that might provide immunity. But it’s sexually transmitted, and the degradation he feels at submitting to the entire squad of soldiers that rescued him eclipses any potential for pleasure — except with Darius, the squadron’s respected, capable leader.

Sergeant Darius Murrell has seen too much death and too little humanity. He’s spent a decade putting plague victims out of their misery and escorting survivors to a safe haven he can never enjoy. He’d rather help Rhys live than put him down, so when Rhys can’t reconcile himself to doing what’s necessary to survive, Darius is forced to save Rhys in spite of himself.

But with each passing day, it looks less and less likely that Rhys can be saved. And that means that Darius might soon have to put a bullet in the head of the one person in years who reminds him of what it means to be human.

Word 104,300; page 375

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Dark, Military Fiction, Romance

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2014

About the author

Amelia C. Gormley published her first short story in the school newspaper in the 4th grade, and since then has suffered the persistent delusion that enabling other people to hear the voices in her head might be a worthwhile endeavor. She’s even convinced her hapless spouse that it could be a lucrative one as well, especially when coupled with her real-life interest in angst, kink, social justice issues, and pretty men.

When her husband and son aren’t interacting with the back of her head as she stares at the computer, they rely on her to feed them, maintain their domicile, and keep some semblance of order in their lives (all very, very bad ideas—they really should know better by now.) She can also be found playing video games and ranting on Tumblr, seeing as how she’s one of those horrid social justice warriors out to destroy free speech, gaming, geek culture, and everything else that’s fun everywhere.

You can find her self-published Impulse trilogy almost anywhere ebooks are sold, and check out her catalog of Riptide Publishing releases at their website.

(NOTE: If you are sending me a friends request just to try to promote your books to me or invite me to release events, I will unfriend and block you. I don't use GoodReads to spam people and neither should you.)

Reviews

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ain’t your mama’s love story!

This is dystopian fantasy at its finest. It’s dark. It’s intense. It’s gruesome.

It’s devastatingly beautiful.

The story is woven into a pattern that is complete fantasy yet somehow utterly believable.

I was captivated.

I was stunned.

Such amazing depth to the characters, even the secondary ones. Each one of them flawed, each distinct, each so incredibly real.

The storyline, the action sequences, the dialogue, they all held me in thrall. I eagerly anticipated getting to the next scene yet I hesitated as I was afraid of what would come. I didn’t know if I could take much more. I spent the last quarter of the book smiling through my tears.

This story is about survival and the endless struggle just to live, not knowing if your next breath will be your last. It’s about overcoming the sheer hopelessness in a bleak, unforgiving world. Yet underneath all of the violence and tragedy there is a subtle feeling of hope and companionship and camaraderie. And love. Yeah, it’s there too if you look closely enough. Because of it I was able to get through the entire story without once feeling depressed.

This book is certainly not for everyone. Please, please read the blurb carefully before you decide to pick this up. If non-con, dub-con, exhibitionism, voyeurism, BDSM, blood play or multiple partners is not something you can handle then I beg you not to read this story. I could not bear to see it get low marks because it hit someone’s trigger points. The story is too beautiful to receive a low rating just because someone is misinformed or not informed enough.

The storyline flowed so well I felt a part of it, like I was there with them. I was fighting alongside these men and women. I laughed with them. I cried with them. I walked with them. The writing is exquisite. I want more.

I made a promise to myself that in the new year I would be more critical in my reviews and hand out four and five stars more sparingly after careful consideration. Imagine my frustration (and my joy) after reading this damn near perfect book. I would give this more than five stars if I could. I’ve been so moved by this story that I feel sorry for whatever follows. Everything else is going to pale in comparison for a while.

I applaud you Ms. Gormley. Thank you for sharing such an amazing story with me.

Brava!



ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Xing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread from 9/5/15-9/9/15.
Yup, still enjoyed it. Can't wait for the sequel!

************

Men are most complex, because we think with two heads.

That's what I thought reading this book. I will go more into that later, but "Strain" was exactly how my pants felt while reading.

Anywho.

In this post-apocalyptic world, a viral plague has swept the world as the result of a biological warfare gone wrong. The result of this are the creation of superhuman soldiers (named Jugs, short for Juggernauts), the terminal disease known as Rot, and manifestation of feral humans known as Revs (not zombies!). Our especially young, and naive 19 year old Rhys Cooper, has been holed up in a monastery when the Revs attacked. He becomes infected with the blood of the Revs, before the Jugs were able to save him. With the possibility of either dieing from Rot, or become a Rev, his only salvation is to become infected with the same viral strain that created the Jugs, and will impart immunity to Rot and becoming feral.

Of course, this saving virus is best transmitted through butt sex. Several times a day over six weeks. (Can I get a prescription for that?).

At this point, my two heads weren't in agreement. My big head rolled its eyes at this, not expecting the equivalent of an omega werewolf orgie among a den of alphas. The last thing I wanted to read about is a naive virgin boy being passed around the dinner table like the salad bowl at Olive Garden.

Yet at the same time, my little head:


So yes, there's the fact that Rhys gets to have butt sex with all these hot super soldier guys. I'm not a fan of this, as I'm usually a one-on-one (or even a one-on-one-on-one) kind of guy. But what saved this story was the fact that it managed to not feel like some cheap porno shot in a post-apocalyptic Super 8 Motel. In all seriousness, the author did a good job in making the act feel more like a necessity for Rhys to survive. It seemed obvious that Rhys only felt an emotional attachment to one of the guys, the 43 year old (and very alpha male-possessive) leader Darius, which allowed the romantic in me breath a little easier. At the same time, I felt that there really wasn't really much of a basis for Rhys' and Darius' feelings for one another since most of their interactions were sexual as opposed to having conversations with one another. After a while, I shrugged it off. At least they started getting to know one another more in the later half of the book. Readers should also note that there is a strong d/s relationship here, including other kinks.

The world building was excellent. As I mentioned earlier, this isn't really a zombie apocalypse as there are no zombies. Just feral humans, super soldiers, and the Rot. Most of the first half of the story focused a lot on Rhys' emotional hangups, which grated on my nerves. Yes, he's young and naive and was abused. But I just couldn't, for the life of me, understand where he was getting at. And I don't think he did either.

Talk about annoying.

But he eventually spelled it out later in the book and became more likeable. Thank goodness! And Darius (asides from his ponytail), was hot as hell. Very aggressive alpha male personality that may not win awards for originality, still made my pants steam. There was also a nice cast of secondary characters that lend enough presence for readers to become emotionally attached (mainly, the other members of Darius' team).

There was a bit of action towards the middle and end of the book. And I was even shocked to find myself getting tearful at the end.

So yeah, lots of over the top sex (butt sex with five people in a row?!) without feeling (too) porny. Emotions from "I am horny" to "WHERE'S THE KLEENEX?" (more of the former than the later). A nice cast of characters and a well constructed dystopian world.

Overall?

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

Well that was something different!

While I like me some kinky sex, I don't like dub-con or non-con, I don't usually like the darker reads, and I'm certainly more of a fan of monogamous relationships than menage or partner-sharing. With all of that, I was expecting to have some issue with the sex content of this book. However, that ended up being my favorite part of the story. Huh. What I ended up having issues with was the the characters themselves. Who've guessed it!?

I'll start by talking about what I liked. When I say that I don't like dub-con or non-con, I mean that I don't find anything sexy about rape or people who commit acts of rape. However, this book really wasn't like that. Rhys, the MC, contracted a fatal virus from the Revs (aka zombie-like creatures) in an attempt to save his sister and nephew. When he is rescued, he finds out that his only chance of survival is to contract another virus that may counteract the Rev virus. The second virus (alpha strain) is only transmitted through sex and so in order to save him, they have to have lots and lots of sex with him (oh yeah, baby!). Now, Rhys agrees completely and each of the men that has the Alpha strain are sweet and caring when they come to have sex with him. When Rhys complains and barely complies, I would hardly call it non-con. It is hard to explain, but it didn't come across as malicious or unwilling, if that helps.

This book is pretty kinky though and I loved that about it. I particularly loved Joe and Tony and their kinks. I love a humiliation kink scene! There was also a Dom-Sub-y kind of relationship between Rhys and Darius, which I also enjoyed. I thought that the sex was really hot and I liked the orgy scenes and all of the kink play. What can I say, I think getting your freak on is hot!

Aside from the sex, I also really liked the world-building. It was simple but it made complete sense and I could see something like what happened in the book happening in real life. It wasn't too far out there. I thought that Amelia Gormley did a killer job with that aspect of the story.

My main issue is the character of Rhys himself. He would die, DIE, without getting the help from his rescuers and the solution to his infection is sex. Okay, I get that he doesn't want to have sex with a lot of people, but please, Rhys, quit your complaining! If I contracted a fatal virus that sex could cure, I would be having sex with everyone willing to give it to me, with my husband's blessing! I was really tired of Rhys moping that it wasn't "special" or "meaningful"- I wanted to smack him, really I did. Though he got marginally better towards the end, I never really understood Rhys in any depth. I also thought that Darius was a bit one-dimensional as well. I felt like, aside from his sexual preferences, I didn't really get to know him as a person. So much of the book was focused on sex that I missed some real character development.

All in all, I liked this story but I felt a little let down. It was a gritty, dark, interesting read but I wish I got a bit more out of it.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Emma Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never have I a read a book that so highlights the anguished relationship I have with my enjoyment of rape fics. Make this M/f and I'd be having a conniption fit.

Seriously, people. Rhys has to be gangraped for 8 weeks or HE'LL DIIIIEEEE. This is so much wrong. An Antonov full of wrong. Yet rarely, if ever, have I been so turned on. There is something very, very amiss with me and I should not be allowed to mingle freely with the general population.

And then I cried my way through the end of the book like a tiny baby. You should see my pile of tissues. Because Gormley made me care like a bastard *sniffs*

Not a five-star because I was dissatisfied with the very end of the book: I wanted a soppy fucking scene.

Recommended for dark-fic fans.

[Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 64%

That's it. I just can't take it anymore.

Where the hell is this story going?!

Rhys is a 19 year old teen who spent his teenage years in hiding in a monastery after a zombie apocalypse destroyed society as we know it.

However, the 'zombie' virus is actually a bio-weapon gone bad. And wasn't it ridiculous how the scientific background of the virus was designed EXACTLY to justify the torture that Rhys was supposed to go through in this story...

There are several strains of the virus. The original carriers (soldiers) are infected with a strain that turns them supernaturally strong, but if they are wounded and their blood comes in contact with air, the virus mutates(?) into a different strain that infects others through the air, turning them into catatonic living corpses who want nothing but kill and eat flesh. Those 'zombies' (called 'revenants') can also infect humans through blood contact (which is then a third strain). Yeah.

Anyway, Rhys is attacked by revenants and is potentially infected by them. The soldiers that come to his help now have the choice of either killing him right away before he turns into a revenant or infecting him with their own strain to turn him into a powerful 'Juggernaut' soldier who is immune to the zombie virus. And this infection can only be done through sex (because, see above, if it's through blood, the virus would mutate again and turn deadly for Rhys).

So how do they solve the problem?

Lots and lots and lots of sex with all male soldiers.
I mean...



Even worse, though: Rhys, who just lost his ENTIRE family is now gang-raped by countless soldiers who expect him to enjoy himself - they're doing him a favor, after all. And while Rhys just wants to die of embarrassment, he even realizes submissive tendencies about himself that the soldiers' leader, Darius, exploits massively.

By the time I decided to stop reading, I didn't even care anymore where this story would go. Would Rhys become a full on sub and live a life in a BDSM context?
Would he stop being everyone's sex toy and settle down with one guy?

I just don't care.

Oh, and there was a zombie apocalypse? Oops, with all that sex, one might almost forget.
However, what REALLY bugged me was the fact that this felt like a depiction of all the ways you could sexually transmit HIV. The similarities between the Alpha virus and HIV were uncomfortably obvious and that's something that really rubbed me the wrong way...

1 star!

[Onyx · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am fine by the warnings, but not stories that romanticize violent and abusive relationships. Rapefics are rarely love stories. Entirely subjective and in-depth discussion to follow.

The novel follows the experience of Rhys Cooper, a young man exposed to the virus that is turning humans into “revenants” (i.e., zombies), and the squad of soldiers who take him on and offer him a chance for survival. Survival comes with a caveat, however: the virus Rhys must contract in order combat the first can only spread through sex… repeatedly, often, and with many partners to give him the best odds of survival. Despite its great pretense, Strain did not live up to its potential.

After I read an interview with the author, I pre-ordered this in a heartbeat. Gormley said, "...what would happen if M/M intercourse was—if not life-giving in the way we consider M/F intercourse to be—then at least life-SAVING, a very positive, important force. I also wanted to deal with the psychological aspects of the mate-or-die/fuck-or-die trope, where a person is forced to set whatever their personal feelings about sex aside in order to do what they must to survive, and what can happen when the intimacy of sex instead becomes about the necessity of survival." Amazing, right?

What a fantastic idea to run with! I loved the setting of this story, loved the plot, the writing, the characters…all of it, really. But I can’t say I loved this book.

The "love" between Rhys and Darius, the soldier who saved him and grows attached to him, is impossible to root for.

It saddens me, because there is so much richness in this story to explore between the zombies/humans, civilization/chaos, humanity/inhumanity, and how it’s exemplified in forced sexual intercourse to save Rhys’s life. He’s living at the intersections of intimacy, endurance, shame and lust. What lengths must he and others go to in order to save his life? How much is one’s humanity worth if it’s ignored or forgotten for ‘the greater good?’

But instead of solely working with these themes, Gormley tacks on a D/s relationship that brings it all to a crashing halt. Rhys’s desire to submit calls into question the entire set-up. It seems, dare I say it, convenient, that he enjoys having choices stripped away. That being demeaned, fucked in public, raped, and otherwise brutalized is really okay, because, you know, he got off and it’ll save his life. WTF, man.

I wish Gormley had just stuck with the psychological aspects of sex without intimacy, and what it did to a romantic 19 year-old virgin with an iron core will to survive. Other authors such as Manna Francis and Lisa Henry have used BDSM to explore intimacy in fantastic ways, but here it’s just. So. Uncomfortable.

In the book, they mention that in a gentler time they would have set up boundaries. But for Rhys, there are no safe words, and his treatment never stops. His perpetrators are human enough to see the wrongness of raping him their actions, and we’re supposed to empathize with them, with Rhys. “It’s an imperfect world,” they say; "It is what it is," and that’s just not good enough for me.

Because satisfying a kink does not mean love. Rhys and Darius can enjoy the best, kinkiest sex in the world, but it does NOT mean that they belong together, or can trust each other, or should ride off into the sunset. The relationship here was a case of Stockholm Syndrome. Hero-worship. Victimization. Rape culture. How could I root for their kisses and cuddles when they never deal with the trauma, with the shame, with the many times Rhys said "no"? Darius essentially raped Rhys until he loved his rapist, and it left a very, very, bitter taste in my mouth.

It really all hinges on Gormley's justification that Rhys's rape is akin to pushing a person from a burning building to a river below. Hurting someone to save his life. This is the grey area, the nature of "dubious consent." As I understand it, a rare person could conceivably forgive his rapist under these circumstances. BUT. That is in no way a romantic gesture, it does not make the rapist a good person, and it does not simply erase the traumatic memories of assault. Using the analogy in a romantic context cinched the Stockholm Syndrome nature of their...um..."love."

I live for these grey areas, where ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ disguise themselves, and people need to deal with the difficult choices they’ve made - that’s why I jumped in to Strain's universe. But in this clusterfuck of morality, the last thing Gormley should have done was stamp a big “This is lovely and everyone’s happy” sticker on their relationship. The ending was such a cop-out, and an offensive one at that. In my book, dubcon stories should have equally dubious happy endings.

But I didn't write this book, did I?

People may argue that I have no right to categorize this as "romantic" or "unromantic" for another reader, and that person is right. This is my boundary, not yours; if you enjoy rapefic, gang-bangs and vast power differentials, then please read Strain and enjoy. But to me this non-con fantasy goes too far into the dehumanizing, nauseating reality of rape to suddenly turn into a smoothed-over happy ending. For the life of me I don't understand why the two MCs had to end up together. Is that so much easier to swallow that Rhys recovering independently and growing into his own?

As far as I'm concerned, this book failed to live up to its potential. Because there are really gut-wrenching topics, absolutely fantastic secondary characters, and wonderful dystopian world building. But at the end of the day, this is a romance story where the romance failed utterly. I can’t say I’ll be reading any more of Gormley’s work in the future.

Edited 4/27/14, lowered rating to 1 star.
Edited 1/2/15. I reevaluated my stance on reading fantasies vs reality. This book is a boundary issue for me, and I'm not sorry I read it at all. It's been a very illuminating thought experiment.

[Lilia Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific. I had my doubts about this because I’m not a zombie fan, and I considered the set up really risky. TV writers sometimes use the phrase “coinkydink” to refer to an overly convenient set of conditions, in this case a deadly virus that can only be cured (possibly) by having as much sex with as many people as possible. I’ve read a bunch of Evangeline Anderson stories with a similar idea—e.g. a demon who must have tons of oral sex with a woman or he’ll implode; a vampiric alien who must bite his severely needle-phobic lady-love or she’ll die of a virus—and they drove me bonkers.

But Gormley takes a basically implausible idea and uses it as a stepping stone for a consistently sensitive, intelligent exploration of sex, desire, trust, inhibition, power, shame—the list goes on. Given the essentially dub-con premise, the story is not as dark as I was expecting, but for once that was a plus, because Gormley avoids the exploitative potential in favor of a mellow pacing that really allows us to get to know and care about her characters—not just Rhys and Darius but a small crew of wonderful secondaries who create a very lived-in feel to the whole story.

There’s a fair amount of encounter-group style dialogue-as-therapy or narrated reflection, but the insights were so astute that again I didn’t mind at all. Examples.

“You made me do something I had to do but couldn’t. It’s like—“
“Like what?” Darius’ question was a hoarse whisper.
“Like shoving someone out the window of a burning building into a river far below.”

Darius could tell himself he was saving Rhys’s life all he wanted, but the fact was, he liked that power differential too much for it to ever be right.

“You can’t just go half in with a kid who doesn’t know how to play the game so that you have all of the authority and none of the responsibility.”

I’m pretty much a sucker for most D/s stories and dark fics, but I save my admiration for authors who go further than just tossing out some kinky acts for heat or shock value and actually explore the complex and contradictory impulses that underlie these sometimes unwelcome desires. That Gormley accomplishes such a nuanced, respectful exploration within the unlikely context of a Zombie Apocalypse is triply impressive. Highly Recommend.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the those books that I wanted to think about before writing a review and now I feel like time is stealing it away. The feelings are evanescing.

"Who you fuck and how you do it has jack shit to do with whether or not you’re a decent guy."

What I liked:

1. The Journey format
2. Sizzling kink

What I didn't like:

1. The Yo-yo conflict Rhys takes us on
2. Poor judgement about another character creating the main conflict later.

All of this is made more complicated and enriched by the discussion with friends about consent, dubious consent and non consent. How people interpret the points really messes with parts of the plot and I haven't even tried to analyze the legal differences of our three separate countries to understand our respective positions. Loved that the book evoked debate.

Overall, it was entertaining and while a couple plot points and deliberate misguidance creating the conflict was less than stellar in my opinion, it was still a highly diverting book.

Favorite quote:

“You ain’t no plastic doll, boy,” he growled, inches away from Rhys’s lips. “You just need to be handled right.”

[Jyanx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book, but I also think enjoyed is almost the wrong word. It is a dark, often hard book. The relationships aren't pretty, or sentimental, or really all that romantic. People come together out of necessity, out of situation, and out of convenience. There is a huge age gap between our main characters. There are elements of non-con, dub-con, and hard kink. Elements that would have usually sent me running in the opposite direction, but in this book it all works for me.

What makes these elements make sense to me is the setting of this book. The world we know has fallen away, and they are in a much darker, harder place. I appreciated how much colder, and practical people have become. It fits the setting, and seems much more authentic that some of the hearts and flowers stories zombie I've read. The plot was nicely paced, and I liked how much I found out about the history of what happened and the military unit along the way naturally instead of one large info dump.

I liked the depth to the character. No one, not even the secondary characters, were as simple as they first appeared. I liked that the more I got to know characters, the more I appreciated their depths, and complexities. I also have to say I love the strength to the female characters. It was nice to see them hold their own, and survive as best they can. No damsels in distress in sight.

A strong, dark read that felt authentic and genuine. I appreciated the ending, it fit the feel of the story without feeling too bleak or hopeless.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite sub genres within M/M Romance is Post Apocalyptic novels, I love the raw grittiness of them, where life is stripped down to baser instincts and the most intrinsic and essential need to just survive becomes paramount, mix that with some D/s power exchange and BDSM elements, throw in a slow burning, intense and extremely erotic relationship between two MC’s and I’m ecstatic. Especially, when the author does it all to perfection and Amelia Gormley did just that, she captured my attention and sated my imagination and need for dark and depraved reads which hit all my kink buttons. From the very first page I was captivated and my heart held hostage by both Darius and Rhys… I loved them! It’s a remarkable story and the plot development and world building is such that you are there, you can see it all with your own eyes and you can feel the desolation of humanity… when clinging onto any tiny sliver of hope becomes all consuming, and that is exactly what this book was to me, ALL CONSUMING for the duration. I just couldn’t put it down! I want MORE, really I do, and I will get to that at the end because I can see some serious stalking taking place until Ms Gormley concedes and writes a book 2!!

So if you read the blurb, you may think this is going to be some kind of fuck fest and in essence I suppose it is, because it’s a do or die situation. There are also elements of non con and dub con in this book along with a little knife/blood play which isn’t to everyone’s taste, but of course my depraved mind just soaks it all up. Having said that, there is so much more to this book, it’s about the emotional and psychological impact on our two MC’s of Rhys’s possible death and their fight for his life, with the uncertainty of it all creating a bond between them, giving that glimmer of hope for the future. But Rhys’s survival touched more than just Darius, because now all the Jugs were invested in ensuring Rhys contracts the virus needed for immunity.

It was agonising to watch Rhys, inside he was just a child that wants love and affection, a boy that still needed to grieve for his lost family, he is sweet and idealistic with a innocence that should have been nurtured. I had a constant knot and ache in my chest for his desperate loneliness. Now he has to fight for his life with sex, a lot of sex, as in several times a day sex, with a parade of soldiers… the humiliation and degradation of it making him shut down emotionally… because Darius was the only man he wanted, with Darius Rhys comes alive inside whilst the others leave him feeling numb.

Darius is a leader, stoic, guarded and tough with comfort and compassion unfamiliar to him, hardened as he is by the harsh and stark realities of their existence. But Rhys ignites something within Darius he finds hard to control, the Alpha strain the Jugs were infected with, kicks in his dominate side, causing overwhelming jealousy and a need to protect… Conflicted and fearful of his sexual desires that seem to have become more deviant in nature because of Rhys’s responsiveness and need to be controlled, he withdraws. Which of course causes all kinds of conflicting emotions in Rhys, struggling with his conscience because of his own desires and zero life experiences with which to draw from except for a zealot priest with a god complex and his son who both physically and mentally abused him.

This is a very emotional journey for both men, who seem to have found a connection, a trust and understanding in a world where they are surrounded by devastation and death, where every moment is precious, they at last have something other than surviving the next day to hope for.

Strain ends on a HFN, but as I said earlier, I wanted more… I wanted to see their intimacy and passion grow, I wanted more from Darius, to see into his heart and watch him totally let himself go and just love… and I wanted to see how Rhys would fit into life at the Fort… because there are a whole host of great secondary characters in this book that I also want more from! I went through hell and back with these two men, I fought revs and unfriendlys with them, I sweat blood and tears and also walked every god damn mile with them. I was filled with nervous anxiety and apprehension and just when I felt the calm, it was over… GUTTED!!! This book is a five star read, without a doubt, It’s excellent and if I knew there was a book 2 on the horizon then it would be up there on my fav shelf… but that little niggle of wanting more, actually forget that, I NEED MORE, is what’s holding it back from the five stars it so deserves. So Amelia, I may become a woman possessed until I get what I need!

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

To all the Vanilla Priscilla’s considering this one. Don’t. This is not your romance story; it’s not a pretty story. Post-apocalyptic stories rarely are but this is really not pretty, and I’m on the fence about how I feel about it…

This premise intrigued me - intimidated me even. Would it be a plausible plot or simply a clever device for porn with purpose I wondered? On one hand it works, explained away by science and on the other, it doesn’t, but not for the reason you think, and I’ll get to that later.

There is a lot of sex here, A LOT! Dub-con, non con, insensitive, dirty, rough sex - multiple times a day with multiple partners all for the purpose of saving a young man’s life.
Sweet, young, virginal Rhys has only one hope; submit to getting fucked, a lot … or die. I know what I’d choose, ha! Easy-peasy right?
But not for Rhys; he is just one more trauma away from cracking after having suffered years of abuse and loss. He’s the kind of character that I feel desperately protective of. I wanted to cry for all the hardships he had already endured and the hopelessness of his new situation. Honesty, he impacted me hard, I felt for him with stingy eyes and a weight on my chest - I wished so much for him - I wished for affection, compassion and just a little respect but instead; he is forced to give up his romantic ideals, his innocence and learn to live with shame, torment, humiliation, grief and fear of possibly becoming a revenant. All of this compounds to break him. It’s heart-breaking. And the boy needed a saviour dammit!

But what he got was Darius (grrr…) and a bunch of hard arse Alpha Jugs whose actions are as callous as they are practical. Darius is not your typical hero, not by a long shot. He’s an anti-hero and I’m all for the anti-hero …usually. But I despised Darius’s stereotypical one dimensional alpha type character. His growly derogatory dialog was just …naff, over-the-top and soulless. I hated that Darrius constantly called Rhys “Boy” and pushed him into accepting his fate without remorse. Darrius was right. He was not worthy of Rhys’s love and affection.

I thought the BDSM element was excessive and superfluous. Rhys had enough torment to deal with on top of understanding his submissive need for dominance. But your millage may vary – you might feel it adds an edge.

The world building and the sociology of a people who have suffered so much loss was decent. Overall I admired the concept and enjoyed Rhys’s credible and emphatic character as well as a few curious side characters. The brutality of this world served well to highlight its plight and the fight, fuck or die ideology. The writing is strong and for the most part I experienced many difficult-to-capture emotions. Unfortunately Darius and the unwarranted BDSM element devalued the experience for me. I’m keeping tabs on this author though; I like a lot of what she is capable of. To the courageous kinkster’s I say go for it.

3.5 Stars

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-Re-Read 08Nov2020:

I mentioned in another review of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian book that it was less gritty and raunchy than I was expecting given the genre. So...I felt like I needed to rectify this by re-reading one that I KNEW was dirtybadwrongdelicious. Also, why are there not more Fuck-or-Die tropes? I need those in my life like woah.

Even more appreciation for the world-building and attention to detail. (I seem to have developed a fascination for survivalist skills.) And why is there always a stupid religious cult involved when things go to shit?

Once again, I'm questioning my kinks because those more public sex scenes were hotter than I remember. Also, the multiple partner thing. Gah, so hot. SO HOT! I don't think I'd have even been mad had Darius and Rhys not ended up together. Rhys could have just stayed their fuck-toy and I'd have been fine with it.

Please, Amelia, consider having these made into audios?


Re-Read 14Jul2018: Still just as good - if not better as I have grown to appreciate just a tiny bit that whole humiliation kink. I think this series, more than just about any other I've read in the past two years that hasn't already done so, is the one I wish the author/publisher would publish in audio format.


Original Review 27Feb2017: 4.5 Stars

Holy shit. So good. I can't even put into words how good it was. The world-building, the characterization, the sex. I was all-in for this less than half-way through the first chapter.

Plus, the "fuck or die" trope isn't often done with this level of detail...let alone to the point where it's something completely believable and OMG I think the science of the entire idea of concurrent viral infection providing inoculation makes sense.

(Although, I am terribly worried that this run of really good novels is gonna boomerang back on me to suffer through a string of horrible ones relatively soon.)

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

ETA: it's funky. Aspects of Strain had me suppressing the urge to gag (ill-excused bukkake heavy multi-partner fest) whereas there were other parts that had me reading open-mouthed with my heart pounding in my throat (topnotch D/s, rough sex and humiliation). Which goes to prove, I think, that few books have left me so conflicted as this one.

Hello dissociative identity disorder!

[Heather C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather can go dark when she wants to!

First, let me give you a little bit of back story on how I came about reading this book.  Months ago, in Atlanta at GRL 2013, I had the opportunity to hear the author read an excerpt from the book (Chapter 3), and before she could even finish reading the excerpt, I was already searching the Riptide website on my phone.  Let me tell you how upset I was when I saw that it wouldn't be releasing until February 2014...a whole 4 months away!

Second, if you know me well, then you know I usually don't read much erotica as I prefer loads of sexual tension.  And I certainly DO NOT go for books with tags like sharing and gang bang!!  Ah, but I do have my kinks and dub-con and knife play are a few of them.  I will admit that when I went into this book, I was totally expecting one orgy after the next.  I was wrong!  While it was A LOT of sex, the sex DID have a purpose to the ENTIRE story...erotica with a good plot exists! This book easily pushed so many of my comfort boundaries...and I didn't even hesitate!

The Situation:  It's some point in the near or distant future (I have no idea which); an oopsie in biological warfare has affected Earth's population, leaving people to die from the Rot, or turning them into mindless, flesh eating revenants once they are infected.  After Rhys Cooper is exposed to a strain of the virus during his unsuccessful attempt to sacrifice himself for the safety of his sister and nephew, he knows he's going to die.  Former Army Sergeant Darius Murrell, and leader of Delta Company, has one of two options: he can put a bullet through Rhys's head when he starts showing symptoms...or he can attempt to infect Rhys with the original strain of the virus that might turn him into a super-human Juggernaut like the rest of Darius's team...and save his life.  And the only known way to transmit the virus without it mutating into something else is through sex...repeated sex with as many partners as possible for up to eight weeks!  Rhys has a decision to make...

The Kinks:  Yeah, this one had a little bit of everything...from cum play to knife play to S/m to public sex to anonymous sex...  I could keep going...  Of course Rhys doesn't want to die so he agrees to let Delta Company try to infect him.  I figured it was going to be more than just Darius having sex with Rhys, so I was very anxious in the beginning.  What surprised me the most was how considerate and gentle all the other men were with him, they didn't want Rhys to die and were doing their duty in trying to save him...too bad they didn't realize that Rhys didn't have a desire for gentle.  Yeah, a ton of the sex was dubious consent, and Rhys didn't want it with all the other guys, but he knew his only choices were to fuck or die.  Sometimes, he would even fight against it with Darius...oh, but Darius was able to figure out how to make Rhys respond and even got a bit "creative" to help make Rhys more comfortable.  I did feel that the sex got a little excessive at times, but I loved being able see how it changed from that first night at the monastery ’til the very end...where it moved from something that had to be done, to being something intimately shared between Rhys and Darius.  All along, Darius has enforced his power over Rhys's sex life, but in turn, Rhys achieves his own power over Darius; bringing softness and hope to a life filled with hardness and death.

”That's the thing about this life.  There's fuck-all to be hopeful about, so we take what good we can out of it.  We fight to stay alive and we fuck to feel alive because there's nothing else left." ~ Xolani

The Characters:  I loved so many of the characters here.  Not only Rhys and Darius, of course, but especially Xolani...the kick-ass female who was second in command of Darius's team...and Rhys's number one supporter.  And also Toby and Joe; damn I would love to see a spinoff of their story, although it might be a bit too "painful" for me to read.  And I can't forget Kaleo.  I hated Jacob, dammit, although I don't think he was as fully developed as some of the other characters.  I mean I hated him, I really did, but didn't fear him like Rhys did, and I wanted to be afraid.  

The Ending:  What I was expecting to happen totally happened.

My Rating: I am soooooooo very close to giving this book the full 5 stars; it was amazingly creative and the medical pieces were so well done.  The characters where gritty and I know they will stick with me for a while.  The sex was hot in a very dirty and kinky way.  There was even a bit of romance...the dark and all-consuming kind.  And I freakin' cried!  BUT I have a few little things holding me back...  The biggest reason being that I feel a bit like I don't know Darius; like I know all about Rhys and his life and the hardships he faced, but I only know the surface of what Darius has shared.  Darius needs to fucking share!  More of himself, and maybe a little less of Rhys (joking, the sharing was hot when Darius figured out how to make it kinky instead of degrading).  Ah, but back to Darius...he is not a young guy and I feel there is more about himself he could have revealed.  And then Rhys's past was addressed over and over again to the point it started to feel repetitive.  Don't misunderstand, I adored both characters immensely, but I feel the focus wasn't quite balanced between the two.  

I feel Rhys and Darius's story could be complete even though its a HFN; but I would still love to have more. Give.Me.More!

4.5 Stars

Reviewed for The Blogger Girls

[Kazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmm, this sounds good!

This book won't be for everyone. If you do not like the following -

Dubious consent, rape themes - just grey areas around sex in your reading. A D/s power exchange relationship that is not built on safe words but need for survival and...more I can't discuss

Truly dystopian books - not romance books that pay shiny lip service to the end of the system we now know, all while everyone is comfy

Lack of sweet love and romance throughout. I'm not saying that people don't care, it's just not a warm and fuzzy world that the characters live in here

- then take heed and perhaps give Strain a wide berth.


If you like the following -

Great, fabulous, brilliant character development

In depth world building, not boring, rather eye-for-detail stuff - I thought on several occasions, "no, that can't be right" then it was backed up by information that made it very right.

The detail on the Beta, Gamma and Alpha strains or contagions and possible cure was very well done. We have had epidemics and pandemics and biological weapons that make this world created by Amelia C Gormley all seem perfectly possible

If you can handle some sadness and some despair at times along with some moments that make you have hope

- then I highly recommend Strain.

If the book was released this year it would be on my favourites list for 2013.

Full review at http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆
ETA: Reread 4/2018 because I read Juggernaut and it had been four years since I read Strain. Juggernaut helped to fill in a lot of the details about how the Bane virus affected the world which enhanced this reread (Juggernaut was published after Strain even though it's a prequel). I still stand by my 4-star rating.
*******
Thought-provoking in that way of was the end result - Rhys surviving worth his endurance? Dubious consent at best, non-consent at worst. Rhys could endure as long as his anchor, Darius, showed him some caring. I don't think he even minded and enjoyed a lot of the sexual encounters as he long as he wasn't being humiliated or felt used.

Wasn't Jacob a piece of work? Well, you gotta have someone to hate and he was bad, bad, bad. With my ambivalence towards religion, this played out my worst fears of what people can become.

And this book is not a sunshine and fluffy bunny book by any stretch of the imagination. I thought the world building was very good - especially in a story where there's not really much left but surviving to the next day. I liked all the other members of Darius' team and can see a series in the future.

I read this as a BoTM and we had an excellent discussion on differing viewpoints and values of which this book could certainly create debate.

Definitely interested in reading more from this author.

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working for a life in a dying world you’re trying to save… on Prism Book Alliance

4.5 HELL YEAHS

Ok, barely a dozen pages in, I was hooked and that thing was dug in deep. My. Kind. Of. Book.
By the beginning of chapter three, I had that ever present inner grin when fully engaged in what someone does with words like this. Even into a dying, nearly dead society, with survival almost as the punch line. This punch line, though, has some bite. His name is Rhys. His name is Darius.

X-Military -- check
Zombie-pocalypse -- check
Adrenaline -- check
Diverse characters -- check
Well written erotica -- check
Drama/humor/blood -- check

Here’s the thing: we humans are complex creatures. Unfortunately, we’re often not written as such. Here? Oh yeah, complex. Head-tilting confusion. Conflicting drives, mottled emotions. And it’s all laid out for our devouring with mighty fine writing. Are there a few familiar phrases? Yeah. A well-known trope of sorts? Yeah. But when they’re a part of a story written like this, they almost feel brand new. Yup.

Anger. Contentment. Anxiety. Fear. Disconnection. Joy. Relief. Loss. Surprises. Smiles.

For me, this was rather mild on the dub-con scale, but know that it’s undoubtedly there in case that is a trigger for you. Neither any character’s age nor circumstance went over the line or really came close to crossing it. It hit me that this is due in great part to how well this word is presented, sans most clichés at that.

Even when very difficult things need to be done, sometimes there is someone there to make it not so horrible. Imperfect life is lifetimes better than the horrible, than death.

A shout-out to Xolani. Talk about a fantastic female character. Why is this so difficult and so rare??? All of these characters are capable, smart, quiet, humorous, sad, cold, driven, gentle people trying to survive, trying to get their brains and bodies to accept the unacceptable.

Intense.

And this doesn’t only come from the physical danger. It’s the combination of that with the humanity inside this book. Again: complexity. As unlike our current world as this one is, on the whole, there are many similarities. This recognition increases the intensity, as well. I understand their motivations. Though there is one who deserves to be dropped on his head, but there always has to be at least one.

Rhys and Darius. It is a relationship that is slowly forming. It lives in an entirely different society so the constructs are not the norm, there’s no way that they could be. But as two human men, with pasts and ideas and wants and misunderstandings, even in this extreme situation, they are trying to get to know each other. Their world is a world of basics, of obtaining them, fighting them, needing them. This feeling of being compelled to explore each other is as basic as it gets between two people.

Everybody is on a journey here, including the supporting characters. They’re each unique and carry their importance in the story. I never felt difficulty in keeping track of or believing their actions and words, nor in how they related to both Rhys and Darius. There are a few that are so important, that I blame them equally for leaving wide open gashes in my heart.

There are so many moments, gestures, glances that I want to tell you about. But just like they were each a meal for a starving man or a startling guffaw or a slow moving wave of heat, I want you to experience every delicious morsel for yourself.

There were a few points repeated throughout the book. They almost felt like mini-recaps, but were far enough apart so as not to really lessen what was happening during each occurrence.

The ending works for me because of what it is and because it causes me to ask many a question – there is SO much more to this story that could be told. Where do they end up? How do they get there? Who gets there? Do we get more of some of the awesome supporting characters?

Just know you’re in for a ride of quiet adrenaline, life, death, treachery, fear, tenderness, resignation, determination and, dare I say, hope. And tears. Wrecked, large, lumpy tears. Read on, my friends… please… read on.

Riptide provided me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply, this was one of those stories where all sorts of superlatives could be thrown into the hat for the writing alone..... outstanding, superb, fantastic, exquisite, fascinating; however, add to that the highly imaginative storyline and all the descriptive words used by the author to convey the bleakness and despair of this dystopian world, and the nightmare existence its survivors have to endure and you have one of those stories that comes along once in a blue moon.

I fell in love with Rhys and Darius, and that in itself is unusual cos I don't normally go for a story where one of the MC's is 25 years older than the other BUT as anyone who reads this will discover, this is no run-of-the-mill story, and there are extenuating circumstances and very valid reasons why Darius has been 'paired' with Rhys, although at the start Rhys is completely against what must happen to him in order for him to survive. I loved nearly all of the characters although one or two that may have met an untimely end will certainly not be missed in this house, and I must mention in particular Xolani, Titus, Toby and Joe who were my faves.

Amelia C. Gormley, I salute you and your characters and am desperately hoping for a sequel to this amazing story. Are 50 stars too many??

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I’ll say I enjoyed this, with a few notes about what didn’t work for me in a bit. The world is a tumultuous place in this novel, with a man-made Alpha virus making superhumans and the mutations from Alpha, called Beta and Gamma, causing either Rot (death) or changing humans to Revs (similar to zombies but not actually dead). The superhumans have to find any survivors and quarantine them but each side lives a very lonely, desolate life.

This is how Rhys Cooper and former Army Sergeant Darius Murrell meet, but they veer from the predicted path for themselves. Rhys is a young survivor, just nineteen, and he’s been trying to stay away from all viruses and survive since he was just a young boy. No family, no friends, abused, underweight, virginal. But there are morals, and guilt and a strong-willed determination within him. Darius is one of the leaders to Delta Company and while he should have made a decision about Rhys – kill him before he spreads a virus to others – his teammates and a surprising tug toward the young man convince him to make the attempt to turn Rhys in to a superhuman like the rest of the team. In order to make the change, the virus strain must be transmitted sexually. And men are better at transmitting the virus than women. The goal is to have as many men as possible have sex with Rhys over several weeks and see if change works.

OK, I thought this plot idea was awesome and interesting and I couldn’t WAIT to see where the author took this. This next part is important for my review because I want to make it clear that these are MY issues and I don’t expect others to be bothered by these things. This is leading to the kinks within this book. You have to be OK with cum play, knife play, blood play, humiliation, voyeurism, anonymous sex with multiple partners, dub-con, non-con, etc. I am. You have to really, really like the word/term of endearment ‘boy’. Newsflash: I don’t. At all. But the characters should have come together in interesting dynamics with these kinks, but it came across as repetitive in many cases. The parts where Rhys needed it to be dirty and violent but for him not to feel dirty read wonderfully. I loved all the different ways Darius attempted to work through what Rhys needed emotionally and physically. Like I said, though, it got a bit repetitive. I’m never a fan of 43 yr old men sleeping with 19 yr olds and calling them ‘boy’ ALL.THE.TIME. It’s just my thang – or rather it isn’t. If that doesn’t bother you, or if you actually love those dynamics, I think you’ll be wiggling in glee.

I had some problems with the characterizations, especially the lack of background/a feel for Darius. This very much felt like Rhys’ story and not the story of this pack of people trying to survive. I had problems buying Darius and Rhys together outside of the bedroom because Darius felt very one-dimensional. However, I found Rhys so, so annoying at times because he’s been given this very special and unique opportunity and he continuously mopes and whines about the lack of meaning, of the men only doing him because it was an obligation (which wasn’t even true), and his constant back and forth with what he liked. I’ll give him some leeway considering he was sheltered and abused (emotionally and physically) for the majority of his life, but it still started to grate after hundreds of pages.

However, I really liked the side characters, especially the head female and Titus. I would have loved to know more about Caleb and Jacob, and I’d be curious about what happens to the world, survivors, etc. after the end of this novel. Again, I did enjoy this, but it ended up being not quite what I was expecting or needing, and I’d have liked a more balanced relationship and insight and less sex.

[Jason Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world building and character development in this story were phenomenal. The author's writing style was smooth and rhythmic so that I could sink into the movie playing in my head and forget I was reading a book. And the sex? WOW! Yeah, good stuff.

Only one thing messed with my movie, and even that wasn't enough to lower my rating.

For a movie to work, I need to see the characters. Some might be blurry, but the main characters need to be more finished than the secondary ones. In the first scene where we meet Darius, he is described as having 'dark skin'. That can mean so many different things, especially for a man who spends his time marching from place to place every day. I read a bit further and found no other hints to help me, so I considered writing the author because I found my movie now had a blank spot where Darius was supposed to be.
While considering emailing Ms. Gormley, I noticed a review with a picture uploaded. It included what I figure was the readers representation of Darius, and he was a white guy.

Let me stop here to just say what I feel doesn't need to be said...but will anyway. Being black is different from being white. The difference didn't affect my attraction to Darius, but not knowing did. So, under the assumption that the review was made by someone who finished the book and felt Darius was white, I decided against writing the author and continued on. My movie now featured a well muscled grizzly white man with salt and pepper hair, a hard jaw, and squinty eyes.

On into the book, Jacob calls Darius a slur that makes it clear that Darius is most likely black. I had to set the book down at that point. My entire movie had been wrong. Now I had to reconsider the man I was very much attracted to in this story. I had to re-see all the prior scenes with another Darius.

When I picked the book up again the next day, I couldn't help but think of the old soap operas my grandmother watched, with the whispered voice announcing, "The part of Darius will now be played by Terry Crews."

The story was still amazing.

Now to a little bit of soap box. This is not aimed at this book but much more.

Ignoring race is not any better than making it an issue. Most of us want to handle prickly issues correctly, but without really knowing the right way, we decide to completely remove any mention of it. :-/

[Eden Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Cryselle's Bookshelf.

From start to finish, Strain by Amelia C. Gormley was a non-stop, unapologetic journey through darkness and into, if not light, then the pink-around-the-edges promise of dawn.

Kudos to the author for taking a risk on a volatile subject and giving us front-row seats to every possible angle, and some of the best, well-drawn characters I’ve ever encountered in fiction. Although the POV switches between Rhys and Darius, our main couple if you will, this is an ensemble cast made up of characters so real, and dialogue so believable, that you find yourself completely caught up in their struggles.

First off, I realize this book is not for everyone. A protagonist must choose between death or sex with multiple partners. Turned off yet? Go back now. Those still with me? Let’s march forward. Right and wrong are gray areas in a world gone to shit, and the soldiers who patrol what’s left of the United States have little in the way of comfort but each other. Their camaraderie and their devotion to their brother-and-sisters-in-arms are the only things that keep them going. They take what little joy there is to be had, and yes, this manifests as sex in many cases. The thing they have in common? Military background and a virus that offers protection against the two mutated strains that have quite nearly wiped out the civilian population.

Enter a young man who’s been raised under the condescending eye of a megalomaniacal zealot, and taught from an early age to believe himself wicked. After exposure to certain death, he has a choice to make: wait until death claims him, or accept the soldiers’ offer to try to save his life. The lifesaving virus he needs is sexually transmitted.

He’s torn. Yes, he desires men, but is it a sin to let others into his body to preserve his life? That’s the dilemma he faces. But Rhys, for all his naiveté, is as plucky and resilient as they come. But while he may be reluctant to do what’s necessary, he wants to live, and agrees.

The men who help him are equally reluctant, for they prefer willing bedmates. Because he will hopefully become one of them, they see him not as prey, helpless or weak, but as a new member, and much of the actual encounters take place off-stage, except in the case where there’s character growth and plot development to be shared. There is no gratuitousness here. In one scene, at the completion, a soldier kisses Rhys and says, “Welcome, little brother.”

Rhys’ main objection to the encounters is that the men are doing what they must, and not because he means something to them. And guilt ensues for actually wanting one of the men, and only him. I guess now is a good time to mention Rhys’ submissive tendencies. No, don’t roll your eyes at me. I mean that he’s one of those compassionate souls with a genuine desire to make life better for everyone else with no thought for himself, as is demonstrated in the opening scene when he sacrifices himself for others.

To a battle-hardened group of fighters, destined to forever stand on the outside and gaze in at humanity, Rhys is balm for the soul. Their leader, Darius, is perhaps the most hardened, and the most in need of Rhys’ gentleness. But how can he let the man under his skin when any day now, if Rhys shows signs of the wrong infection, Darius will have to cut an already precarious life shorter still?

Now, with that premise, you may think this book revolves around sex. It does not. It revolves around the soldiers, doing what they must to preserve mankind, and delivering a dose of reality as harsh as killing a loved one for the greater good. This is handled with great sensitivity. In the hands of someone else, this story may have fallen short of the brilliance it achieved through Ms. Gormley’s storytelling skills.

Strain is bleak, gritty, and raw, in a harsh world. And yet it represents the author’s craft at its finest: taking untenable situations, world-weary characters, and an unlikely pair of heroes, and taking us along for the twisty, turny ride. And maybe, just maybe, shedding some light at the end of the tunnel.

[Leta Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last 20% of this book, especially, is really damn amazing. Obviously, all of it is good, but around the 75-80% mark, I started having that feeling of, "Oh, God, noooo. I've just gotten completely involved and invested and now it's almost overrrrr." That's one of the best and worst feelings, isn't it? Because there's never enough book left at that point.

I'll admit I had a few niggles about emotional continuity, some logistics, and a few other things, but then I have to ask myself, "Leta, when do you not have niggles?" And the fact is, I do most of the time, so I have to throw those by the wayside and look at the bigger picture. Which is:

a) Amelia Gormley has created a really excellently drawn post-apocalyptic world with believable zombies and a believable fuck-or-die situation. That's a pretty difficult thing to accomplish and she does it superbly and with her usual beautiful, descriptive writing style.

b) The characters of Rhys and Darius are interesting to watch unfurl, and I only wish there had been more of that. I did feel that there weren't enough scenes of them together not fucking (or before fucking). More like the shaving scene, for example. But I have a feeling that I might be in the minority on that count. Generally, I'm a fan of more scenes...editors and other readers seem to be fans of less scenes. So, I dunno. But see, that just means I'm greedy. They are interesting characters, and I'd have loved to know more about Darius's past especially. For a forty-something man who's lived through hell, we end up knowing relatively little about his life. So, hey, SEQUEL??? I'll be waiting here. *chinhands*

c) The sex scenes were always hot (though, again, I could've handled a bit more non-con or a gangbang, which, uh, frankly, this situation called for, no, SCREAMED for, but we can't always get what we wannnnnt, sang our friend Mick) and definitely got me a bit glassy-eyed and red-faced. Whew!

d) The emotional crisis near the end was deeply moving and I wish the pace had slowed there just a little to allow me to savor it a bit more. BUT, wow, did she ever rip my heart out (in the good way!!) with that big coming-of-age moment that, uh, no one should have to ever experience. *holds Rhys forever*

3) Loved the diversity in the book. Strong women, people of color, etc, etc. Nicely done. Strong showing! :D

4) The villain was truly despicable and yet believably so and, even better, not cartoonish because we've all (unfortunately) known someone like this dude. Good villains can be hard to draw.

Basically, I loved this book and shifted some responsibilities around to read it in a big, fat hurry because I was so into the world she'd built and so curious about the characters. I would love to see more in this universe, like with anyone at all from this world, and more with Rhys and Darius, too. I highly recommend it and think everyone should start sending Amelia emails demanding a sequel or three. :D Go forth! Buy and read!

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a dystopian future, viral bioweapons have escaped containment and almost wiped out human civilization. An isolated young man is attacked by infected zombie-like Revs and at the last moment is rescued by a group of immune soldiers. But for his rescue to actually work, his recent exposure to the Revs' bioweapon viruses has to be counteracted by exposure to the immune one of the soldiers. By sex, over a period of weeks. With multiple men in the rescue group.

The set-up for this story felt slightly contrived - as if designed to set up a situation where a young inexperienced guy could be forced to have repeated poly sex with strangers, and yet have everyone involved be good guys doing their best. Given that, the virus strains are ingenious, although there's a bit of handwaving. (Good handwaving, though, since virus mutations and interactions are not always well understood in the real world.) And if you accept that premise, then it holds together in a way that is sometimes fascinating, and occasionally quite affecting. I especially felt sympathy for Darius, the commander of the soldiers who is faced with difficult decisions and doing the best he can.

Rhys, the young man they rescue, is a bit immature for his years. But some of that can be attributed to the isolation of his teen years, with almost no positive human contact. His inability, or unwillingness, to connect with his rescuers other than Darius was sometimes irritating, but I could make allowances for the massive strain he was under. The BDSM nature of the sex was not always to my taste, and I wasn't convinced that day after day of multiple rounds of anal sex, and chronic plug use, was plausible in Rhys. Especially when it was at times rough penetration - the chance of fissures and other pain and discomfort, that would escalate if not given time off to heal, had me wincing as time went on. Even with Rhy's preferences it was hard to see it as romantic.

But I was caught up in the story, taken on a journey by the plot, and involved enough in the characters to want to see how it came out. A late scene really carried some emotional weight, and I wouldn't mind reading a sequel to this, to see how things work out further down the road.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 stars for being absolutely filthy. This was a great read, very dirty and self-indulgent. What I would call 'smart smut'. Set in a future dystopia where a horrific virus has turned pretty much everyone into cannibalistic monsters, the author has created this complicated explanation for why huge super soldiers need to basically gangbang a 19 year old survivor in order to save his life. Something to do with engineered mutating viruses (to be honest the virology was a bit dodgy). Anyway, it was mostly entertaining and there are some memorable characters. I could've done without the angst, and I'd have loved more zombie-killing action scenes. But ultimately it's a good read and I recommend it to any fan of the genre.

[Sheziss · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first thoughts and primal reactions:



The Earth has not been the same since a virus infected the population and turned people into revenants.



Some years have passed and isolated groups have managed to survive. Rhys lives with his sister and three more humans in a monastery until one day some revenants find and attack them.



Rhys would be dead if not for the Jugs’ intervention, leaded by Darius.



Unfortunately, Rhys and the other survivor, Jacob, are infected by the virus, the Beta or Gamma strain, and their only chance of survival is getting infected by the Alpha strain, the original one who caused this mess, but also the fastest to grow and the one which gives immunity to the other two strains.



Sadly, the only way to transmit it is by sexual fluids, because otherwise it mutes to Beta or Gamma. Worse still, there are more probabilities to get infected if receiving the virus from more than one sexual partner.



So, here we have Rhys, who saw the civilised world at 12 for the last time, and being now 19, is lacking the knowledge and experience of people his own age.



And he has to be raped by all the guys in the troop.



I didn’t like Darius and his mates very much in some moments.



After my initial shock:

This book has a good plot. This book has lots of sex. This book has superb action. But the love story is… absent?



The plot makes sense, and it’s well developed. The explanation about the natural history of the virus and the modus operandi proposed by the Jugs to cut it short is consistent and solid (even more than other zombies movies I’ve seen).



The problem is, I found it too forced in the sense of being used as an excuse for the continuous pseudo-rapes. I could forgive it because it’s a matter of life or death, and f*cking with everyone is the last option to not to succumb to this disease.



I had another problem with the bad guy of the book. He was a way too stupid, too bad, too hated by everyone, too childish to be a worthy villain. Yes, I know the reasons everybody has to not to get on with him, but the actions and thoughts of this character are shameful for this book.



I was more scared at the actual plot.

Rhys has a crush on Darius and feels something for Darius he doesn’t feel for anyone else. Darius tries to mantain the distances, it would do no good to get close to the survivor if his life is doomed to end in several weeks. But with Rhys he finds something he hadn’t notice we would miss: softness and humanity.



Maybe I would be more forgiving if there was an actual “I love you” in the story, but there is none. What a disappointment, because this book needed it, since the plot is that dark and violent. Some sugar was missed here.



Because I was divided. I felt there was SOMETHING there and I was dying for that crucial romantic minute, but it never comes, so I was a little disillusioned when I finished the book.



Finally, the last events are too forced. I'm talking about the kidnapping, I have an issue with that, it is too used in romance. So, all in all, I liked the book. It's not my cuppa, I don't think this is romance, but I like the plot, and I enjoyed it.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this a few weeks ago and didnt write a review because I didnt really know what to say. This story was just not one for me. I thought the writing here was good but it wasnt what I expected. I thought I was going to get some kind of sci fi story but I didnt enjoy it.

First of all there were just far too many dub con/non con/rape scenes. I am not going to try and define these scenes, all I know is that there were just too many. I have read stories which feature rape or some kind of sexual violence and it hasnt spoilt the story for me, but in this story it was just unrelenting.

To borrow a Brit expression 'it did my head in'. In the end I just skimmed these scenes but they left me feeling uneasy.

This story also had a mad bad preacher which is a well used, over used trope in m/m fiction. Yes religious inspired homophobia is alive and well in our world today. No - not every priest or religious leader is homophobic and some of them are LGBT, as are people in the congregations.

m/m romance is the only genre that has so many mad bad preachers. Why?

It appears these characters left other genres and took up residence specifically within this genre. As a faith leader myself if any author wants some ideas about gay affirming/ gay faith leaders, or sexual diversity within faith communities please do pm me. I am happy to provide contacts, organisations and ideas especially if it will lead to different ideas being expressed in literature.

So I cant say I liked this story. It was just miserable :(

There were other things I didnt like about the story but I just feel it wasnt a book I should have read in the first place. It feels so odd because I actually liked the style of writing. I think if there was less sexual violence I probably would have given it a four even with the mad bad preacher.

To be fair there were warnings about this on the Riptide website but in my haste to buy this book I missed them. I read the blurb and thought 'yay sci fi'. More fool me. I think it might be helpful to have the warnings beneath the blurb. I didnt check the warning tab before buying this because I was so interested in the blurb.

Anyway other people have enjoyed this story so at the end of the day it all comes down to personal preference but if rape/ non con/ dub con or any other cons are not your thing then it might be wise to give this one a miss.

[Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

DNF’d at 61% - Dubcon is actually worse to me than Noncon and this is why…

Everyone who knows me knows my bio dad was an abusive fuck. I remember being sent to live with him when I was 12 because my mom was going to Desert Storm and there was no one else to take me. We both knew it wasn’t the greatest scenario but well…I’d survive, you do what you have to do. Several months in I remember a teacher approaching me & saying she thought something was going on at home and if I only told her she could get me some help. You couldn’t miss the cigarette burns and even miserable I don’t come off as the type of person to be harming myself. I remember riding home on the bus that day, I can see the kid a crossed from me with the window open and how the sun was that day. It’s a moment I’ve never forgotten… it’s the moment I made the decision to stay. My rational was this, yes the bio was abusive….but it was a known. I knew he knew how far to take things, he didn’t sexually abuse me, he wouldn’t kill me. It was the best option, it was a known option and it was something I could survive.

And that’s dubious consent. It’s being 12 and coming to the conclusion that it was better to keep your mouth shut and continue getting burned and choked until you passed out, called the devil because your will to survive was strong enough verses going into a system that was probably worse. Dubcon makes you a willing participant in your abuse, it makes you forced to deal with the long standing consequences of your actions.

Year later I remember lying in bed with Sunny & him saying the problem he thought we had is we’d been so conditioned to be abused that if you tried to be nice to us we bulked. It was love that would break us. He thought that was the cruelest part, we’d been trained to seek out the abuse. Humans are wondrous, to keep our mental sanity we can convince ourselves we actually prefer the abuse….it’s a survival tactic.

So why am I five starring this? Well it’s excellently written, it is what it is. I can see where this relationship is going and I want no part of it. It causes that little stir of emotions where I want this kid to learn to enjoy the life he will continue to lead. At 61% I want his mind to desire the abuse and bulk at the niceties. The 12 year old in me wants him to survive.

[Vanessa North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come, once i've gathered my thoughts :)

[Juxian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I kinda finished it. I was skimming a bit, I admit. But not because I found sex scenes and the whole situation of the main character upsetting. I wish it were so. I knew what the book was about, and I think I expected to feel sympathy, maybe anger, maybe something cathartic. Instead of it, the book felt ridiculous and annoying.
The main problem for me was probably that I didn't believe in what was happening. Everything was so far-fetched and sex-focused I couldn't help thinking the author threw the world into apocalypse (and came up with a horribly convoluted story about viruses) just to be able to incorporate as many of her kinks as possible. Now writing for kinks is something I completely approve :) But I'd rather read some honest porn that leaves me with a thought or two than a rapey fantasy that pretends to be a serious story - and FAILS at that.
The other thing that really made this book a trial to read was how I couldn't connect with main characters at all. My God, Rhys was so... teenagery. Which is natural, I guess, him being just nineteen. But I'd think surviving seven years after the apocalypse would disabuse him of the notion that the world owes him something. I was fed up with his sulking, alternating between playing a victim and being defiant and moping that he doesn't get his meaningful romance. Really, man. You're not in a fairy tale. Look at your sister, was she getting her meaningful romance when married to an asshole at sixteen and then dead? You want to die - go and die; and if you choose to live, then suck it up and do what's necessary. I think we all know real, not invented, diseases that require painful and prolonged treatment without any guarantee of success. So yeah, life is not fair.
I know it is kinda not fair of me, too, to deny Rhys sympathy because he is complaining about something that makes him unhappy. After all, it's what people do. It's probably the mix between the artificiality of his condition/required treatment, the sexual element in-between: are we supposed to cry or jerk off while reading, and Rhys being, well, a typical teenager... I mean I don't read YA books for a reason.
Darius was something in his own way. Always talking to Rhys like he was turning him into his prison bitch. "You don't have a choice. Do what I say. Your ass is mine. You'll learn to enjoy it." Okay, it was probably supposed to be hot in the BDSM-y context of their relations but it just made me feel weird.
In short: didn't like it. Still have two other novels, will put them into my special folder "read in case all other m/m books in the world disappear".

[annob [on hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me five years ago would probably have loved this book. Current me liked it enough to finish. Current me would have loved more world building and story outside of the many smexy scenes. Futuristic MM romances are rare, so I do appreciate the imagination poured into it.

I decided to read this series in publication order, and I think that was the right call.