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Dominus #1
Dominus
In AD 107, after a grueling campaign against Rome’s fierce enemy, the kingdom of Dacia, Gaius Fabius returns home in triumph. With the bloody battles over, the commander of the Lucky Fourth Legion now craves life’s simple pleasures: leisurely soaks in fragrant baths, over-flowing cups of wine, and a long holiday at his seaside villa to savor his pleasure slaves. On a whim, he purchases a spirited young Dacian captive and unwittingly sparks a fresh outbreak of the Dacian war; an intimate struggle between two sworn enemies with love and honor at stake.
Allerix survived the wars against Rome, but now he is a slave rather than a victor. Worse, the handsome general who led the destruction of his people now commands his body. When escape appears impossible, Alle struggles to find a way to preserve his dignity and exact vengeance upon the savage Romans. Revenge will be his, that is, if he doesn’t lose his heart to his lusty Roman master.
Dominus is a plot-packed erotic fantasy that transports readers back to ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. This is the first book in an alternate history series—a tumultuous journey filled with forbidden love, humor, sex, friendship, political intrigue, deception and murder.
Allerix survived the wars against Rome, but now he is a slave rather than a victor. Worse, the handsome general who led the destruction of his people now commands his body. When escape appears impossible, Alle struggles to find a way to preserve his dignity and exact vengeance upon the savage Romans. Revenge will be his, that is, if he doesn’t lose his heart to his lusty Roman master.
Dominus is a plot-packed erotic fantasy that transports readers back to ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. This is the first book in an alternate history series—a tumultuous journey filled with forbidden love, humor, sex, friendship, political intrigue, deception and murder.
ebook
First published August 10, 2013
90 people are currently reading
758 people want to read
About the author
J.P. Kenwood
8 books139 followersSarcastic and sassy writer of deliciously smutty, plot-packed stories that celebrate men loving men, often. My stories, often dark and always erotic, focus on power dynamics and unlikely love. My passions are ancient Rome, laughter, and wine. Find all my social media inks at: https://linktr.ee/JPKenwood
My current four book series, Dominus, is an m/m alternative history fantasy series set in ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117). What if Trajan had been the custodian of two boys instead of only one? What if Hadrian had been privy to secrets that could damage the political authority of his older and more successful fellow imperial ward, Gaius Fabius? What if a Roman general had fallen in love with his captive Dacian slave? Could a powerful Roman aristocrat of noble ancestry have been deliberately erased from history?
Gaius Fabius, a lusty, ambitious Roman general and potential heir to the imperial throne, acquires a new pleasure slave—a recently-captured, feisty Dacian prince named Allerix Dominus is the slow-buring saga of two sworn enemies who both take risks and make sacrifices—it is about the unforeseen consequences of seeking vengeance, earning trust and falling in love.
While most details are historically accurate and tied to major historical events and prevailing cultural attitudes, the tale is entirely fictional and the dialogue is deliberately modern and British in flavor. There is very little Latin and there are no gratuitous gladiators.
The complete first three ebooks of the series are now available on Amazon. The gorgeous paperbacks can be found everywhere, and all the Dominus novels will be available as audiobooks (Books 1 & 2 are now on Audible). The first volume of the companion short story series, Dominus Calendar Series is also available through Amazon.
My current four book series, Dominus, is an m/m alternative history fantasy series set in ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117). What if Trajan had been the custodian of two boys instead of only one? What if Hadrian had been privy to secrets that could damage the political authority of his older and more successful fellow imperial ward, Gaius Fabius? What if a Roman general had fallen in love with his captive Dacian slave? Could a powerful Roman aristocrat of noble ancestry have been deliberately erased from history?
Gaius Fabius, a lusty, ambitious Roman general and potential heir to the imperial throne, acquires a new pleasure slave—a recently-captured, feisty Dacian prince named Allerix Dominus is the slow-buring saga of two sworn enemies who both take risks and make sacrifices—it is about the unforeseen consequences of seeking vengeance, earning trust and falling in love.
While most details are historically accurate and tied to major historical events and prevailing cultural attitudes, the tale is entirely fictional and the dialogue is deliberately modern and British in flavor. There is very little Latin and there are no gratuitous gladiators.
The complete first three ebooks of the series are now available on Amazon. The gorgeous paperbacks can be found everywhere, and all the Dominus novels will be available as audiobooks (Books 1 & 2 are now on Audible). The first volume of the companion short story series, Dominus Calendar Series is also available through Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
November 12, 2024
OK— alright, so this book revolves heavily around the slave trope and it also takes place in ancient Rome so there’s some messed up stuff. In order to read this you gotta be alright with that.
NOW let me tell you I am confictedddd there is a strong love/hate relationship for me when it comes to this book. To start off there are so many characters, now I’m proud to say I was able to keep track of them for the most part but it still got a little complicated. There are many different perspectives but one of the main ones follows Allerix who becomes a slave, captured from the war, and is now forced to serve the man who helped kill everyone and everything he knows basically. And— like— during his perspective, obviously he wants to escape right? But like he was also very wielding and I couldn’t tell if it was an act or not because we never got much of his thoughts? It was like the author couldn’t figure out how to write his character exactly. Now the other main character is Gaius who is a general and is the one who now owns Allerix and like I couldn’t figure out his character either, at times I liked him, at times I despised him, and at times he was just plain confusing. I fell in love with the side character much more than I did the two main ones 😅.
NOW for the plot. Well… there wasn’t much of one. At the beginning there were hints of a plot and throughout the entire middle it felt like there was only an illusion of a plot. UNTIL during the last like thirty pages or so BOOM a huge plot just explodes in your face and like everything changes, everything becomes more intriguing, both Allerix and Gaius’ characters are improved immensely like the author figured what to do with them. And that is how this book earned its fourth star!! I was shockeddd.
NOW let me tell you I am confictedddd there is a strong love/hate relationship for me when it comes to this book. To start off there are so many characters, now I’m proud to say I was able to keep track of them for the most part but it still got a little complicated. There are many different perspectives but one of the main ones follows Allerix who becomes a slave, captured from the war, and is now forced to serve the man who helped kill everyone and everything he knows basically. And— like— during his perspective, obviously he wants to escape right? But like he was also very wielding and I couldn’t tell if it was an act or not because we never got much of his thoughts? It was like the author couldn’t figure out how to write his character exactly. Now the other main character is Gaius who is a general and is the one who now owns Allerix and like I couldn’t figure out his character either, at times I liked him, at times I despised him, and at times he was just plain confusing. I fell in love with the side character much more than I did the two main ones 😅.
NOW for the plot. Well… there wasn’t much of one. At the beginning there were hints of a plot and throughout the entire middle it felt like there was only an illusion of a plot. UNTIL during the last like thirty pages or so BOOM a huge plot just explodes in your face and like everything changes, everything becomes more intriguing, both Allerix and Gaius’ characters are improved immensely like the author figured what to do with them. And that is how this book earned its fourth star!! I was shockeddd.
October 28, 2017
Storywise, this book is incredible. It was set in the ancient Roman Empire when glorious Romans blatantly indulge themselves with pleasure slaves of both sexes.
The story focuses on the victorious general Gaius and a former Dacian prince called Allerix who's now the pleasure slave of the General. The story is quite complicated with a lot of characters to catch up. There was a lot of usage of Romanian, Italian and some Latin. Though I can always find the translations on google, it would really have been fantastic if they provide the translations of those sentences at the bottom of the page. I also wish there was a glossary since there really are a lot of characters to catch up to. However, I'm a bit disappointed that after around 300 pages of this book and approximately 5 hours of reading, this book was still at the mere beginning of the journey of these star-crossed lovers. I checked the description of the second book in this series and that one is a bloody cliffhanger too. I wonder how many more books there will be in this series before it eventually reaches either to a HEA or a tragic ending. Although story wise, the novel was incredible, sexwise, this book was ok. The smut could be a lot hotter and wilder if the author indulged us with a bit more explicit scenes.
I loved both MCs, Gaius and Allerix, and a lot of other interesting side characters. Gaius is firm but kind and a caring master and Allerix is a battered soul who is now recovering from the love and care of his master. There were a lot of sexual practices and indulges of these notorious Romans in the book which are sexy and attractive. The relationship between these two MCs is not easy and will take much more time to achieve an indestructible one. The plot and the ploy of these glorious Romans where they play games for the power and pleasure is simply enticing and fascinating. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book.
Well deserved 4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story focuses on the victorious general Gaius and a former Dacian prince called Allerix who's now the pleasure slave of the General. The story is quite complicated with a lot of characters to catch up. There was a lot of usage of Romanian, Italian and some Latin. Though I can always find the translations on google, it would really have been fantastic if they provide the translations of those sentences at the bottom of the page. I also wish there was a glossary since there really are a lot of characters to catch up to. However, I'm a bit disappointed that after around 300 pages of this book and approximately 5 hours of reading, this book was still at the mere beginning of the journey of these star-crossed lovers. I checked the description of the second book in this series and that one is a bloody cliffhanger too. I wonder how many more books there will be in this series before it eventually reaches either to a HEA or a tragic ending. Although story wise, the novel was incredible, sexwise, this book was ok. The smut could be a lot hotter and wilder if the author indulged us with a bit more explicit scenes.
I loved both MCs, Gaius and Allerix, and a lot of other interesting side characters. Gaius is firm but kind and a caring master and Allerix is a battered soul who is now recovering from the love and care of his master. There were a lot of sexual practices and indulges of these notorious Romans in the book which are sexy and attractive. The relationship between these two MCs is not easy and will take much more time to achieve an indestructible one. The plot and the ploy of these glorious Romans where they play games for the power and pleasure is simply enticing and fascinating. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book.
Well deserved 4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 29, 2024
before you add this to your tbr shelf, consider these questions first:
pre-read notes
a roman general and a pleasure slave! Maz Maddox rated this five stars and I've liked ALL of the books she rated, so I'm excited for this one!!!!!!
1. do you like reading the slave trope, or will you get offended on behalf of pleasure slaves in ancient Rome and how dare the author make them enjoy it?
PS. the author did make all sexually active characters aged 17+
2. do you enjoy reading historical fiction but don’t mind the fact, the author chose to write it in modern English?
3. are you in the mood for erotica with plot? lots and lots of flirting? fun and so far noncomplex cast of mostly sexy characters?
4. If yes, then do you mind your MCs being flirty and sexual with other characters before and after meeting? a married MC sleeping with his wife off screen? having a not so secret lover, (my favorite character)? owning a few pleasure slaves? because everyone is horny for everyone all the time!
pre-read notes
a roman general and a pleasure slave! Maz Maddox rated this five stars and I've liked ALL of the books she rated, so I'm excited for this one!!!!!!
May 31, 2014
Full Reviewage on Prism Book Alliance
This story is set in A.D. 107, Rome, with ultra-high society the arena in which all of the characters are doing their best (and worst) to make their way. However, this isn’t an historical book in the traditional sense, not when you take into account the language and tone. Favorite examples? “Hissy fit”, “twit” and “bloody brilliant”, to name a few. Know what this means? When you read this, take the language as seriously as a birthday balloon and just enjoy the ride. :)
There are some POV changes early on and this made it confusing sometimes and difficult to determine who is thinking or saying what. I crinkled my brow here and there, thinking, “now, who was that?” Once I figured out the rhythm of the less obvious changes, I did start to enjoy the various voices of these characters.
Also? There be some funny shit in this here story. Yeah, I could get all fancy schmancy but it would all just lead back to humorous, which this is. True humor isn’t easy and it’s pretty well done here.
Oh, also? Plenty of swearing going on here to satisfy anyone’s love and appreciation of such bawdy talk. That’s me. :D
Daft. Bugger. Shagging. Oops! Excuse me, I was having a flashback. ;)
These characters range in age from around 21 up to nearly 40 and everywhere in between. This did help greatly in aiding the “buy-in” for this story, the motivations for characters (some very obvious, some not so much at all) and some of the more serious events throughout. Most of all, the many different relationships were given weight due to some of their ages and how long they’ve known and (loved, hated, cared, tolerated) and dealt with each other.
I think we can add one more thing to the up and down nature of this read: the sex. Some is hot and will cause the heart to race, while some is not really at all. I couldn’t ever decide if that was the sex as described itself or partly due to the circumstances of some of the scenes. I almost have to say it was the former because some of those settings were meant to raise one’s temperature and didn’t quite get there.
Along these same lines, it took me awhile but I finally realized a thread running through much of this that just didn’t quite site well. It also surprised me because, when it works, it doesn’t bother me at all. I guess it comes down to the fact that you can’t just say someone is “mine”, there needs to be backup, history, something to make that believable and have the intended impact. Everyone seemed to “belong” to someone else, physically and emotionally. I know we’re talking about things like slaves, rules, partially freed staff, Dominus, Domina, etc., but it all felt heavy handed. It sometimes dampened the humor and the heat for me. This also means that the featured pairings, old and new, sometimes suffered from a feeling of being forced, not organically grown.
On the flip side, there is some unexpectedly strong emotion in this story. It comes from two characters that feel like they are the real stars here, despite their smaller font size on the front of the marquee. Really damned good and is a perfect example of the opposite of what I was just describing up there. History and tenderness and loyalty and pain and caring and love. All of these are demonstrated in both small gestures and those of a more grand nature. This was a relationship that deserved more exploration.
There may not be a lot of story here, not a lot of movement in plot, but the characters are front and center and they do highlight well the skill this writer possesses when it comes to people and their secrets, desires, fears and hope. It’s not easy to juggle so many characters and yet make them all feel relevant, complex and worthy of spending some time with and I got a good dose of that here.
I think it’s safe to say this was an uneven read: a gentle roll downward with the modern language, then on the upswing with the funny, then down again with the unclear changes in point of view, only to head back up towards the summit with some of these characters.
This story is set in A.D. 107, Rome, with ultra-high society the arena in which all of the characters are doing their best (and worst) to make their way. However, this isn’t an historical book in the traditional sense, not when you take into account the language and tone. Favorite examples? “Hissy fit”, “twit” and “bloody brilliant”, to name a few. Know what this means? When you read this, take the language as seriously as a birthday balloon and just enjoy the ride. :)
There are some POV changes early on and this made it confusing sometimes and difficult to determine who is thinking or saying what. I crinkled my brow here and there, thinking, “now, who was that?” Once I figured out the rhythm of the less obvious changes, I did start to enjoy the various voices of these characters.
Also? There be some funny shit in this here story. Yeah, I could get all fancy schmancy but it would all just lead back to humorous, which this is. True humor isn’t easy and it’s pretty well done here.
Oh, also? Plenty of swearing going on here to satisfy anyone’s love and appreciation of such bawdy talk. That’s me. :D
Daft. Bugger. Shagging. Oops! Excuse me, I was having a flashback. ;)
These characters range in age from around 21 up to nearly 40 and everywhere in between. This did help greatly in aiding the “buy-in” for this story, the motivations for characters (some very obvious, some not so much at all) and some of the more serious events throughout. Most of all, the many different relationships were given weight due to some of their ages and how long they’ve known and (loved, hated, cared, tolerated) and dealt with each other.
I think we can add one more thing to the up and down nature of this read: the sex. Some is hot and will cause the heart to race, while some is not really at all. I couldn’t ever decide if that was the sex as described itself or partly due to the circumstances of some of the scenes. I almost have to say it was the former because some of those settings were meant to raise one’s temperature and didn’t quite get there.
Along these same lines, it took me awhile but I finally realized a thread running through much of this that just didn’t quite site well. It also surprised me because, when it works, it doesn’t bother me at all. I guess it comes down to the fact that you can’t just say someone is “mine”, there needs to be backup, history, something to make that believable and have the intended impact. Everyone seemed to “belong” to someone else, physically and emotionally. I know we’re talking about things like slaves, rules, partially freed staff, Dominus, Domina, etc., but it all felt heavy handed. It sometimes dampened the humor and the heat for me. This also means that the featured pairings, old and new, sometimes suffered from a feeling of being forced, not organically grown.
On the flip side, there is some unexpectedly strong emotion in this story. It comes from two characters that feel like they are the real stars here, despite their smaller font size on the front of the marquee. Really damned good and is a perfect example of the opposite of what I was just describing up there. History and tenderness and loyalty and pain and caring and love. All of these are demonstrated in both small gestures and those of a more grand nature. This was a relationship that deserved more exploration.
There may not be a lot of story here, not a lot of movement in plot, but the characters are front and center and they do highlight well the skill this writer possesses when it comes to people and their secrets, desires, fears and hope. It’s not easy to juggle so many characters and yet make them all feel relevant, complex and worthy of spending some time with and I got a good dose of that here.
I think it’s safe to say this was an uneven read: a gentle roll downward with the modern language, then on the upswing with the funny, then down again with the unclear changes in point of view, only to head back up towards the summit with some of these characters.
April 26, 2014
I wish I could give this novel a higher mark, but there were too many things I didn't like. The prologue is useless and with a language that rivals a cowboy novel. And boy, they talk dirty. Also, too much sex and hoping from a bed to another for my taste - I like a bit more story than sex.
Plus, the modern language made me wonder if I was reading a contemporary or a historical novel. So only 2 stars:( Too bad, it had potential.
Plus, the modern language made me wonder if I was reading a contemporary or a historical novel. So only 2 stars:( Too bad, it had potential.
June 12, 2014
I am dissapointed with this book. It contains the tropes that I love, it is well written and I didn't mind the modern language(enjoyed it even)so I should be happy, yes? yeah, but not really...
Almost every character is either a beautiful, daring, super-smart, crazy "bastard" or a sexy/cute lad/scamp- which was just plain ridiculous. They are all lusty and horny every minute of the day, no mater the circumstances. The porn could be best described as nonsensical and sleazy; author tries way too hard for sexiness, while it just had me rolling my eyes or skipping the whole thing.
In my opinion there was to many characters and storylines introduced which left us with not enough time for a relationship that I actually cared about about(or wanted to)-between Allerix and Gaius. This part is not explored enough, there is too many shortcuts and no growth. Basically, Allerix hates Gaius because he killed his family, he hates what Gaius stands for and so on and on, BUT it all looses importance in the face of Gaius' sexiness!!!Gaius will scratch his balls and poor Allerix is lost to the world of passion...
The book wasn't entirelly bad there were things that I liked and found refreshing (like the relationship between Gaius and his wife). I believe J.P. Kenwood to be a good writer, talented even and despite all the things that irritated me I found myself caring for two of the characters- Allerix and Nicomedes. I see this book as a lost opportunity, it could be a really epic story and instead we got something passable.
P.S. Book ends with a clifthanger. I know it is pretty popular to end movies or series this way, but I don't agree with the philosphy that stands behind it. When a story is good people will come back for a next part anyway, and ending with a clifhanger is making them come back.
Almost every character is either a beautiful, daring, super-smart, crazy "bastard" or a sexy/cute lad/scamp- which was just plain ridiculous. They are all lusty and horny every minute of the day, no mater the circumstances. The porn could be best described as nonsensical and sleazy; author tries way too hard for sexiness, while it just had me rolling my eyes or skipping the whole thing.
In my opinion there was to many characters and storylines introduced which left us with not enough time for a relationship that I actually cared about about(or wanted to)-between Allerix and Gaius. This part is not explored enough, there is too many shortcuts and no growth. Basically, Allerix hates Gaius because he killed his family, he hates what Gaius stands for and so on and on, BUT it all looses importance in the face of Gaius' sexiness!!!Gaius will scratch his balls and poor Allerix is lost to the world of passion...
The book wasn't entirelly bad there were things that I liked and found refreshing (like the relationship between Gaius and his wife). I believe J.P. Kenwood to be a good writer, talented even and despite all the things that irritated me I found myself caring for two of the characters- Allerix and Nicomedes. I see this book as a lost opportunity, it could be a really epic story and instead we got something passable.
P.S. Book ends with a clifthanger. I know it is pretty popular to end movies or series this way, but I don't agree with the philosphy that stands behind it. When a story is good people will come back for a next part anyway, and ending with a clifhanger is making them come back.
October 12, 2013
Not a bad short story written as an introduction to a longer story. The modern language which the author used intentionally felt very out of place in my opinion and was a bit of a turn off for me.
March 16, 2019
Dirty, filthy and hot! One of the best historical fiction I've ever read!
Want to read
December 27, 2017Kindle freebie 12/27/17
Want to read
February 16, 20192/16/19 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
October 18, 2016
I received a review copy for this book quite a while ago, but I struggled with it. Historical gay fiction is not my usual reading fare, but ancient Rome has always fascinated me. However, I have a hard time facing some of the realities that were common in that time. The author has a great gift of making history come alive, but that also means the slavery she writes about feels real as well. I had to stop reading a few times, but I was hooked enough by the story that I could not give up and kept trying.
I think for me it is easier to read the story of two Gladiators or Roman slaves who fall in love, because they are the victims of a system that I despise. This story is not quite as black and white. There are several major characters who get their POVs told in different chapters and they are all complex, flawed and very human. While it took me a few tries to get into the story, once I did I was completely hooked and read the remaining 75% of the book in one go.
This is the story of Gaius Fabius, a decorated Roman commander and Allerix, the Dacian prince he buys as new pleasure slave. It took me a while to warm up to Gaius. I didn't like how he treats some of the people he encounters, he owns slaves and is part of the slavery system that was in place in ancient Rome and he just behaved like a total prick in the beginning. Allerix on the other hand really helped me to get into the book. He is introduced later in the story and is someone I could really identify with. He is new to slavery and the Roman ways and feels like a prisoner of war, as Gaius is the man who defeated the Dacian forces in a bloody war. He seems smart and likable and tries to get the monster's trust to get his revenge.
Everything is more complex than it seems, though. Gaius is not the monster he seemed to me and Allerix in the beginning. While he is a man of his time and does not share my modern perspective, he does treat his slaves with respect, despises unneccesary slaughter and just wants to live a peaceful life. He had a horrible childhood and has to play a dangerous political and social game.
The book starts and ends with an archeological dig in modern times and I'm not really sure yet how it all will connect in the end. It was a surprising and refreshing way to start a historical book, but for me the book's greatest assets are the wonderfully complex characters in the past (whether or not one likes them all from the beginning). Their relationships are as complex as their personalities and make the intriques and mysteries in the book so much more complelling.
Gaius is the central figure and all other character seem to be connected to him in some way. I have already mentioned his connection with his new pleasure slave Allerix, but there is also his relationship with his adoptive father, the relationship with his adoptive father, with his cunning wife, his former slave and the two other male pleasure slaves as well as the sexual relationship with his best friend. I don't want to take away from the book, so I will not go further into why these relationships are intriquing in very different ways. These characters really draw you in and make it impossible not to read on. You need to find out what happens next! That is especially true for the 'cliffhanger' in the end. While it does not leave readers uncertain about a character's fate, it will leave them anticipatory about what will be next for Gaius and all the other characters.
Thankfully, the next book is already out and just as good, if not better (as it does not need to spend time introducing the major charactors).
My Rating: 8.5/10 Pots of Gold (85% Recommended) - Compares to 4.25/5 Stars
I think for me it is easier to read the story of two Gladiators or Roman slaves who fall in love, because they are the victims of a system that I despise. This story is not quite as black and white. There are several major characters who get their POVs told in different chapters and they are all complex, flawed and very human. While it took me a few tries to get into the story, once I did I was completely hooked and read the remaining 75% of the book in one go.
This is the story of Gaius Fabius, a decorated Roman commander and Allerix, the Dacian prince he buys as new pleasure slave. It took me a while to warm up to Gaius. I didn't like how he treats some of the people he encounters, he owns slaves and is part of the slavery system that was in place in ancient Rome and he just behaved like a total prick in the beginning. Allerix on the other hand really helped me to get into the book. He is introduced later in the story and is someone I could really identify with. He is new to slavery and the Roman ways and feels like a prisoner of war, as Gaius is the man who defeated the Dacian forces in a bloody war. He seems smart and likable and tries to get the monster's trust to get his revenge.
Everything is more complex than it seems, though. Gaius is not the monster he seemed to me and Allerix in the beginning. While he is a man of his time and does not share my modern perspective, he does treat his slaves with respect, despises unneccesary slaughter and just wants to live a peaceful life. He had a horrible childhood and has to play a dangerous political and social game.
The book starts and ends with an archeological dig in modern times and I'm not really sure yet how it all will connect in the end. It was a surprising and refreshing way to start a historical book, but for me the book's greatest assets are the wonderfully complex characters in the past (whether or not one likes them all from the beginning). Their relationships are as complex as their personalities and make the intriques and mysteries in the book so much more complelling.
Gaius is the central figure and all other character seem to be connected to him in some way. I have already mentioned his connection with his new pleasure slave Allerix, but there is also his relationship with his adoptive father, the relationship with his adoptive father, with his cunning wife, his former slave and the two other male pleasure slaves as well as the sexual relationship with his best friend. I don't want to take away from the book, so I will not go further into why these relationships are intriquing in very different ways. These characters really draw you in and make it impossible not to read on. You need to find out what happens next! That is especially true for the 'cliffhanger' in the end. While it does not leave readers uncertain about a character's fate, it will leave them anticipatory about what will be next for Gaius and all the other characters.
Thankfully, the next book is already out and just as good, if not better (as it does not need to spend time introducing the major charactors).
My Rating: 8.5/10 Pots of Gold (85% Recommended) - Compares to 4.25/5 Stars
June 13, 2014
It’s a pretty rare thing when I can say a book hooked me completely just from the prologue and epilogue but really, everything that happened between those two chapters was the icing on the proverbial cake. JP Kenwood’s Dominus is an Alt History erotic novel that begins and ends in the current era but largely takes place in the year 107 AD, in the Roman Empire under the emperor Trajan’s rule.
The book opens at an archeological site in modern Rome, where a mystery is uncovered, one involving characters who’re soon after introduced and then are left to carry the remainder of the story until the epilogue brings the plot around full circle. Gaius Fabius, the red haired Roman warrior who led the battle to conquer the Dacian nation is the lusty Dominus whose story is told in those central chapters. He is a man whose charm and libido rival each other for dominance throughout the story, as he masters his slaves, both male and female, while also attempting to gain control over his latest, and most costly conquest, a fiery spoil of war, Allerix, a Dacian prince whose heart is in jeopardy of becoming lost to the man who has already robbed him of his freedom.
There are several central characters in this novel, or at least characters who are integral to the storytelling. Maximus, a former pleasure slave now freeman, along with two sex slaves, Simon and Nicomedes, who help to flesh out Gaius as both a man and as a master. Lucius Petronius is Gaius’s long-time friend and illicit lover, and it was this friendship of equals that showed a much softer side to the Commander. The relationship Gaius has with the women in his life, from his wife to his slaves, serves to illustrate that sexual labels didn’t apply in certain cases, but sex most certainly had social restrictions placed upon it. It was widely accepted that sex between a master and his male slaves was a right. Sex between a man and his male peer was not, an interesting and puzzling distinction that gave an emotional edge to Lucius and Gaius’s bond.
The relationship between Gaius and Allerix is only just beginning to be explored in Dominus, and I’m anxious to see where the author is going with their story, especially as it ties in with the beginning and ending of this book. Murder and political intrigue promise to play a pretty significant role in the lives of these two men as the story progresses, and the author has baited the hook to guarantee I’ll be back for Book Two to see where these characters will go.
Dominus, as a whole, reads something like a long prologue to the promise of something more; what’s inside the covers of this installment is the slow burn, where the introduction of all the players needed to happen now so the real meat of the story arc can be told in the next book. The build up to the storyline between Gaius and Allerix was a little like torture at times, but my need to see what would happen between these two men kept me turning pages, and has left me anxious for more.
If you go into Dominus expecting a detailed historical drama or a simple genre romance, your expectations are off base. Read this novel for the bounteous pleasures of the flesh and the promise of the mystery yet to come that JP Kenwood has delivered so handily.
Reviewed by Lisa at The Novel Approach
The book opens at an archeological site in modern Rome, where a mystery is uncovered, one involving characters who’re soon after introduced and then are left to carry the remainder of the story until the epilogue brings the plot around full circle. Gaius Fabius, the red haired Roman warrior who led the battle to conquer the Dacian nation is the lusty Dominus whose story is told in those central chapters. He is a man whose charm and libido rival each other for dominance throughout the story, as he masters his slaves, both male and female, while also attempting to gain control over his latest, and most costly conquest, a fiery spoil of war, Allerix, a Dacian prince whose heart is in jeopardy of becoming lost to the man who has already robbed him of his freedom.
There are several central characters in this novel, or at least characters who are integral to the storytelling. Maximus, a former pleasure slave now freeman, along with two sex slaves, Simon and Nicomedes, who help to flesh out Gaius as both a man and as a master. Lucius Petronius is Gaius’s long-time friend and illicit lover, and it was this friendship of equals that showed a much softer side to the Commander. The relationship Gaius has with the women in his life, from his wife to his slaves, serves to illustrate that sexual labels didn’t apply in certain cases, but sex most certainly had social restrictions placed upon it. It was widely accepted that sex between a master and his male slaves was a right. Sex between a man and his male peer was not, an interesting and puzzling distinction that gave an emotional edge to Lucius and Gaius’s bond.
The relationship between Gaius and Allerix is only just beginning to be explored in Dominus, and I’m anxious to see where the author is going with their story, especially as it ties in with the beginning and ending of this book. Murder and political intrigue promise to play a pretty significant role in the lives of these two men as the story progresses, and the author has baited the hook to guarantee I’ll be back for Book Two to see where these characters will go.
Dominus, as a whole, reads something like a long prologue to the promise of something more; what’s inside the covers of this installment is the slow burn, where the introduction of all the players needed to happen now so the real meat of the story arc can be told in the next book. The build up to the storyline between Gaius and Allerix was a little like torture at times, but my need to see what would happen between these two men kept me turning pages, and has left me anxious for more.
If you go into Dominus expecting a detailed historical drama or a simple genre romance, your expectations are off base. Read this novel for the bounteous pleasures of the flesh and the promise of the mystery yet to come that JP Kenwood has delivered so handily.
Reviewed by Lisa at The Novel Approach
February 1, 2023
Oof.
So this novel has a lot of good things going for it, such as the wide and varied cast of characters, the flawless, seamless way exposition is handled (that part was a bit like unwraping a gift layer by layer, really well done).
But One, I am not the target audience. Sure fhis is a high drama series with a lot of over the top scenes, but the focus is really on sex acrobatics.
I wouldn't say the sex scenes are meaningless, as the author really does use these scenes to develop her characters' personalities, but the way one scene is soon followed by another, with the partners being swapped out and moved around the porn sets with glee is tacky in the same way that HBO's Rome used sex both as fanservice to draw a crowd as well as to display the vulgarity of the place and the society.
It does work - and in Dominus there is also some violence to counterbalance the sex, but unlike Rome the tab doesn't quite add up.
Two, Dominus really leans into the traditional age-gap and power-imbalance dynamic. Not just between the main characters, but also between secondary characters. Obviously power dynamics always exist, but in this novel, there is a common theme and many relationships feel like mirror images of each other.
Three, Gaius. Bro is 35, a successful Commander in battle, and Emperor Trajan's older adopted son. He wants to be Emperor badly. Unfortunately, based on his sex schedule, I really see no openings for the necessary paperwork. Yes, I get it, his younger step brother "Princess" Publius is a vulgar little prick. But Gaius wanting to be Emperor seems to be some kind of petty revenge against Trajan, anyway, rather than the genuine desire to govern anything larger than a private brothel. Of course if Publius does end up with the purple, chances are Gaius won't live long to complain about it. So I get why he might want to not be murdered by his dumb jerk brother.
Four, Allerix is a young prince of the Gauls and as such, a rather conservative choice for a love interest. So far I found him rather tepid and uninspired, especially in his dynamic with Gaius. With the other slaves, he actually was interesting.
I can see why this may be an enjoyable, complex and dxplicit MM series for some readers.
I am not disappointed - this could have been actually bad and it wasn't, or totally boring which it also wasn't - but I also have no motivation to read the rest of the series.
2,5.
So this novel has a lot of good things going for it, such as the wide and varied cast of characters, the flawless, seamless way exposition is handled (that part was a bit like unwraping a gift layer by layer, really well done).
But One, I am not the target audience. Sure fhis is a high drama series with a lot of over the top scenes, but the focus is really on sex acrobatics.
I wouldn't say the sex scenes are meaningless, as the author really does use these scenes to develop her characters' personalities, but the way one scene is soon followed by another, with the partners being swapped out and moved around the porn sets with glee is tacky in the same way that HBO's Rome used sex both as fanservice to draw a crowd as well as to display the vulgarity of the place and the society.
It does work - and in Dominus there is also some violence to counterbalance the sex, but unlike Rome the tab doesn't quite add up.
Two, Dominus really leans into the traditional age-gap and power-imbalance dynamic. Not just between the main characters, but also between secondary characters. Obviously power dynamics always exist, but in this novel, there is a common theme and many relationships feel like mirror images of each other.
Three, Gaius. Bro is 35, a successful Commander in battle, and Emperor Trajan's older adopted son. He wants to be Emperor badly. Unfortunately, based on his sex schedule, I really see no openings for the necessary paperwork. Yes, I get it, his younger step brother "Princess" Publius is a vulgar little prick. But Gaius wanting to be Emperor seems to be some kind of petty revenge against Trajan, anyway, rather than the genuine desire to govern anything larger than a private brothel. Of course if Publius does end up with the purple, chances are Gaius won't live long to complain about it. So I get why he might want to not be murdered by his dumb jerk brother.
Four, Allerix is a young prince of the Gauls and as such, a rather conservative choice for a love interest. So far I found him rather tepid and uninspired, especially in his dynamic with Gaius. With the other slaves, he actually was interesting.
I can see why this may be an enjoyable, complex and dxplicit MM series for some readers.
I am not disappointed - this could have been actually bad and it wasn't, or totally boring which it also wasn't - but I also have no motivation to read the rest of the series.
2,5.
Read
January 18, 2020I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review. I didn't like it and I only made it to about 40%. I don't know what the protocol is here, but listening to it was making me feel pretty bad, so I'm going to stop.
It's probably an accurate portrayal of how people acted in Roman times (1st century AD). But really, it feels like over-the-top erotica, and it's just not my kink.
The main character, Gaius, has a lot of sex with a lot of people. He is rude and controlling at all times, especially to slaves. I understand this is a romance between him and a specific slave, and maybe when that happens, he becomes less of a bully. But I didn't make it to that point, so I don't know if that's true. I stopped listening when his love interest was literally begging the gods to die because he's so miserable.
Gaius also misgenders his rival all the time (he calls him Princess to mock him, behind his back). I really hate that kind of humor. There is also sexual violence, on page and off, and some of it is meant to be sexy (Gaius touching his love interest, who hates him).
So, I am sorry, but I can't handle this. The reviews here made it sound very plot-heavy. It might turn that way; I can't say. I kept thinking that no matter what happened to the MC or how he grew as a person, I couldn't ever like him. It's in third-person omniscient PoV, and there's often head-hopping (more than one PoV in a scene).
If you like erotica with a strong BDSM element, you may like this. I can see how it would be a fun romp for other readers.
It's probably an accurate portrayal of how people acted in Roman times (1st century AD). But really, it feels like over-the-top erotica, and it's just not my kink.
The main character, Gaius, has a lot of sex with a lot of people. He is rude and controlling at all times, especially to slaves. I understand this is a romance between him and a specific slave, and maybe when that happens, he becomes less of a bully. But I didn't make it to that point, so I don't know if that's true. I stopped listening when his love interest was literally begging the gods to die because he's so miserable.
Gaius also misgenders his rival all the time (he calls him Princess to mock him, behind his back). I really hate that kind of humor. There is also sexual violence, on page and off, and some of it is meant to be sexy (Gaius touching his love interest, who hates him).
So, I am sorry, but I can't handle this. The reviews here made it sound very plot-heavy. It might turn that way; I can't say. I kept thinking that no matter what happened to the MC or how he grew as a person, I couldn't ever like him. It's in third-person omniscient PoV, and there's often head-hopping (more than one PoV in a scene).
If you like erotica with a strong BDSM element, you may like this. I can see how it would be a fun romp for other readers.
Read
June 6, 2014What it says on the box: m/m erotica set in an alternate imperial Rome. Setup a popular one currently in m/m, one hero being sold as a sex slave to the other. But what caught my attention was some readers's description of the voice, a blend of smart, sarcastic modern idiom blended with a familiar sense of ancient Rome that brings the characters to life.
There is a whole lot of up-front raunch, but with a minimum of victimization/humiliation, the latter being pretty much a turnoff for me. The sex slaves being totally into it, along with that voice of sheer fun, turns it into a kind of comic-book-world romp in the best sense, while still plot things happen that ratchet up the tension nicely.
The second half really begins to accelerate the plot, leaving . . . a cliff hanger!
Now I have to read the second.
There is a whole lot of up-front raunch, but with a minimum of victimization/humiliation, the latter being pretty much a turnoff for me. The sex slaves being totally into it, along with that voice of sheer fun, turns it into a kind of comic-book-world romp in the best sense, while still plot things happen that ratchet up the tension nicely.
The second half really begins to accelerate the plot, leaving . . . a cliff hanger!
Now I have to read the second.
July 23, 2020
3.5 Stars
At first I wasn't sure how to rate this. The narration was excellent. Some of the sex slave voices had me cracking up, to be honest, but overall, they all sounded so different it was easy to keep in mind who was talking.
The story itself started out in Rome as a battle has been won and Gaius learns of a sex slave sale. He ends up finding a man there that was taken prisoner and waiting to be sold as a slave. After spending too much money, Gaius wins as highest bidder, then takes his new toy, Alle, back to his home by the sea. Once there, Alle plays a fool, pretending not to speak the language, not understanding what is asked of him, but when he finally sees Gaius for the first time as his owner, he can't leave.
Gaius lives in a world plagued by ancient battles and aristocracy. He's one of the soldiers that fights battles and comes home the victor. He's well known and his brother is next in line for the throne. But in every life, there are politics that keep people uninformed and dangerous.
Once he tries to break in Alle, his newest toy, he realizes how much he's wanted someone just like him, to have and enjoy. But when his world gets turned upside down, he's not sure how much he can take and survive.
I loved the writing. It was so well done. My only downside was how much sex there was (a lot!) and how the story didn't really get going until more than halfway through. I felt I knew a lot about the history of Rome, but wanted more in the way of story line. Otherwise, the characters were actually redeemable and endearing for the most part.
At first I wasn't sure how to rate this. The narration was excellent. Some of the sex slave voices had me cracking up, to be honest, but overall, they all sounded so different it was easy to keep in mind who was talking.
The story itself started out in Rome as a battle has been won and Gaius learns of a sex slave sale. He ends up finding a man there that was taken prisoner and waiting to be sold as a slave. After spending too much money, Gaius wins as highest bidder, then takes his new toy, Alle, back to his home by the sea. Once there, Alle plays a fool, pretending not to speak the language, not understanding what is asked of him, but when he finally sees Gaius for the first time as his owner, he can't leave.
Gaius lives in a world plagued by ancient battles and aristocracy. He's one of the soldiers that fights battles and comes home the victor. He's well known and his brother is next in line for the throne. But in every life, there are politics that keep people uninformed and dangerous.
Once he tries to break in Alle, his newest toy, he realizes how much he's wanted someone just like him, to have and enjoy. But when his world gets turned upside down, he's not sure how much he can take and survive.
I loved the writing. It was so well done. My only downside was how much sex there was (a lot!) and how the story didn't really get going until more than halfway through. I felt I knew a lot about the history of Rome, but wanted more in the way of story line. Otherwise, the characters were actually redeemable and endearing for the most part.
September 15, 2018
4.5/5 : the story is great, the plot is very intriguing and this Antique Rome really pulled me in. But I felt we need more between Alle and Gaius. But on the other hand, JP Kenwood do not rush things between those two ennemies. I love that realistic streak. But I am dying for more of them ❤️ now book two 😍
April 25, 2014
“You are an incorrigible rascal, aren’t you? I fear that when it comes to you, căţel, I may have inadvertently opened Pandora’s box.” - Gaius
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the Author's writing style, it's quite different from what I've read before.
Dominus is the first installment of this series. It takes place in Ancient Rome, and it deals with a lot of issues that were part of the era. Slavery, of course, is part of this.
Gaius is a very important man in Rome. He's a gorgeous man, a warrior that has fought for his people for a very long time. Gaius has a weakness: his boys. Gaius' boys love him beyond belief and would do anything for him and to stay by his side. Gaius, for his part, loves his boys and does anything to keep them happy, and more importantly, safe. While Gaius is a wicked, lusty bastard who's never really been in love before, but that changes he meets Allerix, a beautiful Dacian, who keeps rebelling himself against his Dominus' orders.
Allerix has a secret and tries to keep it safe. If his secret sees the day of light, there's a chance that he won't.
This novel is about a forbidden love between to men that for being who they are will have to struggle a lot to be together.
I'm really looking forward to read the next book! :)
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the Author's writing style, it's quite different from what I've read before.
Dominus is the first installment of this series. It takes place in Ancient Rome, and it deals with a lot of issues that were part of the era. Slavery, of course, is part of this.
Gaius is a very important man in Rome. He's a gorgeous man, a warrior that has fought for his people for a very long time. Gaius has a weakness: his boys. Gaius' boys love him beyond belief and would do anything for him and to stay by his side. Gaius, for his part, loves his boys and does anything to keep them happy, and more importantly, safe. While Gaius is a wicked, lusty bastard who's never really been in love before, but that changes he meets Allerix, a beautiful Dacian, who keeps rebelling himself against his Dominus' orders.
Allerix has a secret and tries to keep it safe. If his secret sees the day of light, there's a chance that he won't.
This novel is about a forbidden love between to men that for being who they are will have to struggle a lot to be together.
I'm really looking forward to read the next book! :)
May 6, 2016
Wonderful world-building, Imperial Roman Empire setting, beautiful slaves and imposing master personally responsible for destroying the main character slave's country...of course I loved this book! A modern era archeological expedition frames the story, though I could have done without it. It'll probably be important, though. The setting feels completely real: lush and luxurious and often pastoral. What I loved most was the relationship between Gaius and Lucius. Both complex men and in a complex situation. I also really enjoyed that Gaius' wife was likable and pragmatic, which is much truer to ancient matrimony than jealous shrews. Some of the use of modern language in ancient Rome threw me out of the story at times, but not enough to disrupt the erotic action. And yes, there's a cliffhanger, which I knew going in, so I had the next book already in line. Readers who dislike cliffhangers (here, here) are advised to do the same. Trust me, you're going to want that book after reading this one.
August 13, 2023
J’ai été un peu déstabilisé au début que la romance ne soit pas uniquement entre Allerix et Gaius (c’est ce à quoi je m’attendais avec le résumé). Mais il y à plusieurs romances (gros crush sur Gaius / Lucius) et les manœuvres politiques sont hyper intéressantes.
Pas mal de scènes épicées ce qui n’est pas pour me déplaire 😏🔥
Pas mal de scènes épicées ce qui n’est pas pour me déplaire 😏🔥
September 3, 2014
My full review of Dominus can be found on my web site.
did-not-finish
August 30, 2014Too much head-hopping and it doesn't appear that this will have any romance in it... Stopped at 12%
March 19, 2017
Dominus was my first take on M/M historical fiction, and boy, am I hooked. I just loved the style, the characters, the details, the profanity, and by the time I finished (I read it in one sitting), I was searching desperately for the second book (which came out after an agonizing few weeks).
I saw on this page that many people had problems with all the stuff I just loved about Dominus, so I thought I'd write a detailed review, and since I'm a huge fan of list, here are
I saw on this page that many people had problems with all the stuff I just loved about Dominus, so I thought I'd write a detailed review, and since I'm a huge fan of list, here are
The 5 Things I Love About Dominus (Which Are Sometimes Very Unjustly Listed As Faults):
1) The Style and the Gargatuan Amounts of Swearing: Seriously, if you've ever visited Pompeii, or read the graffitis, or even if you've read Catullus's later poems, or I could quote some Martial, you'd know that the Romans were really, really foul-mouthed. It didn't really matter that they would call someone a shit-face in senate, or a cunt on a wall, they'd done it early and done it often. Also the ironic, light-hearted style was a treat, sometimes it reminded me of Petronius when the author described some ridiculous characters (although I didn't particularly like how my favorite empire was described as an entitled brat). It was an interesting contrast to the dark side of the story, the war and its horrors overshadowing the whole plot, the nasty system of slavery, the inequalities of the Roman society as a whole.
2) The Characters: Alright, I have to admit, when I read a romance novel (or basically anything that includes people getting involved with each other, which is, when I read literature, period), I just love beauty made into words. I loved the thorough description beautiful hair, eyes, faces, bodies, the detailing, which almost made me feel like I was touching them. Maybe I'm shallow, or maybe, just maybe it's an inherent part of human nature to be strongly drawn towards beauty. So I found the characters' radiant beauty (I mean, basically all of them are stunning) and their constant lust really amusing, whether it's "realistic" or not. Also I felt like beauty and sex are the only good things that ever happened to them: they all have very sorrowful, complicated lives (even the billionaire Gaius, I mean he waged wars, for crying out loud, the rest would be spoiler I guess), they're mostly alone with their thoughts and feelings, and the only time they can make a connection is when having sex with each other. It's also kind of a contrast, like the style.
3) The Master-Slave dynamic: I know... I know. But. At first I had a hard time coming round to appreciating how it was described in the book. I mean how can a man overpowering another be sexy? Well, apparently it can. It's not the system I praise, gods forbid, it's just that I guess love and lust are rarely politically correct. You can be attracted to all kinds of depraved stuff, things that you wouldn't approve of, like, ever - it just turns you on. And in life, of course, you need two consenting adults, but it's a book, and there are slippery slopes and disturbing bits about it - for me it added to the complexity. I mean the reader is never asked to approve of everything he/she reads - the reader is only asked to consider it. I never told I was comfortable with this stuff - in fact, that was the most uncomfortable thing about it -, and I'm on the edge of never even believing a slave could have genuine feelings for his master, apart from Stockholm Syndrome... but still. I have a million thoughts about it, and it's great.
4) Nobody's Fucking Poor: So I have to admit I'm a Historian, and I have studied the Romans quite a lot, and guess what, we mostly know about the rich. It's quite obvious, they could write, moreover, they could hire the best of the best to write about them (seriously, to parallel the case, imagine Donald Trump commissioning Jonathan Franzen to write his praise for 3 zillion dollars - and he does), and actually, they were more sparkly and interesting. I mean, every rich person has their unique way, but every poor person seems very similarly poor - which is untrue, but that's the general idea. For now, we know very little of Rome's poor: they lived in houses built from cheap materials that never remained, they never had works of art in their homes, they buried their dead with little pomp and few grave goods - for Archaeologists and Historians, it's really hard to figure out how exactly they lived their lives (we're trying though).
5) Oh The Details & The Historical Accuracy: (Which is not listed as a fault, but I still love it, so here it goes.) It's one of the perks of having studied Classics, but I really loved the descriptions of certain objects, buildings, artwork. I can imagine the author has researched the era thoroughly. I also appreciated the depiction of Emperor Trajan, whom I always thought of as an enlightened tyrant, like Louis XIV. His history with Gaius adds a really dark touch to the main character's storyline.
Also, the porn. I really like that, too.
January 14, 2022
Oops! I read this one a few years ago, and forgot to review it! How did that happen? The story starts with a cat's paw dagger found during a modern-day archeological dig and transports us back to ancient Roman times. The book begins and ends in modern times, but the bulk of the story lies in the past.
Attitudes were different and hard to read about at times, particularly parts about how captured enemies were treated. Gaius was hard to like at first but was a man of his time, a famous warrior who lived up to his reputation. But every time I wanted to think the worst of him, he'd go and do something to make me see his personality was a lot deeper than I'd first assumed.
Allerix was captured, treated horribly, brought to Roman, and sold and a slave. Trusting would not come easy, and all he could think of was to escape. I really didn't see how these two men could find a middle ground.
The book was brutal at times, especially about the treatment of slaves, but the author presented the material in a way that wasn't gratuitous but managed to convey conventional thinking of the time. And it kept me turning the pages.
At this point in reading the series, the jury was still out on Gaius, but some of the other characters had won my heart.
Attitudes were different and hard to read about at times, particularly parts about how captured enemies were treated. Gaius was hard to like at first but was a man of his time, a famous warrior who lived up to his reputation. But every time I wanted to think the worst of him, he'd go and do something to make me see his personality was a lot deeper than I'd first assumed.
Allerix was captured, treated horribly, brought to Roman, and sold and a slave. Trusting would not come easy, and all he could think of was to escape. I really didn't see how these two men could find a middle ground.
The book was brutal at times, especially about the treatment of slaves, but the author presented the material in a way that wasn't gratuitous but managed to convey conventional thinking of the time. And it kept me turning the pages.
At this point in reading the series, the jury was still out on Gaius, but some of the other characters had won my heart.
January 28, 2019
2.5 Like I quite liked it even though it's about sex slaves and one of them is forced into it. It's not exactly the master/slave I was looking for as in there's no chemistry/tension between the two and I feel the captured prince was unutilized in the story for what he could have been. I was much more invested in the guy's friend and his slave-now their relationship I would love to see a backstory on.
Also are Gaius and Allerix supposed to be endgame because I don't get it, they barely spent together in this, Allerix only slept with Gaius in the end as a step in the direction to get out of his situation and before that he was being forced into it, that combined with their complete lack of chemistry between them and I just don't really see how that will be turned around.
I won't be continuing. I just didn't care enough to want to even though it did end on a cliff-hanger.
Also are Gaius and Allerix supposed to be endgame because I don't get it, they barely spent together in this, Allerix only slept with Gaius in the end as a step in the direction to get out of his situation and before that he was being forced into it, that combined with their complete lack of chemistry between them and I just don't really see how that will be turned around.
I won't be continuing. I just didn't care enough to want to even though it did end on a cliff-hanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2023
I'm not a big reader of slave fic, but this one just pulled me in. Gaius is a famous Roman general who is being considered as the Emperor's successor. He has just returned victorious from war with Dacia and is ready to relax with friends, family, and his pleasure slaves. He hears of a private auction of newly acquired slaves and becomes determined to purchase an untrained Dacian slave, at first known as Paulus. Paulus is an untattooed prince who slipped under the radar of execution.
This book, which ends on a cliffhanger, is more focused on other relationships in the circle and the initial training of Paulus (later Allerix). The training is, for the most part, of the more general and seductive type, but Gaius is also capable of cruelty. It is, of course, non-con, but Paulus also finds himself very attracted to Gaius. Gaius is also more intrigued by him than any other lover due to the challenge of the relationship. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book in the series goes to watch their changing relationship.
This book, which ends on a cliffhanger, is more focused on other relationships in the circle and the initial training of Paulus (later Allerix). The training is, for the most part, of the more general and seductive type, but Gaius is also capable of cruelty. It is, of course, non-con, but Paulus also finds himself very attracted to Gaius. Gaius is also more intrigued by him than any other lover due to the challenge of the relationship. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book in the series goes to watch their changing relationship.
dnf
August 23, 2020I’m sure the story is great considering the high reviews, but I’m not loving the modern day piece of this. The story starts out more like a prologue (and I HATE prologues) of a guy and his team discovering two bodies in an archeological dig - which we’re led to assume are the two MCs in this story? Like, if that isn’t the most depressing thing ever. We know that for a book of historical fiction, the MCs are obviously not supposed to be alive in modern times unless they’re vampires or the like, but do we have to be reminded of that? Not a fan. Apparently the author does this the next two books as well so this is unfortunately a DNF for me.
July 28, 2018
Now this is an unexpected series. It doesn't fit in any mold and it doesn't follow any rules....and it works. It was delightfull and emotional, sexy and thrilling and if I have any complaints, then that this is the first in a series and the end of the book is really not the end of the story. If you are uncomfortable with cliffhangers, wait until the series is completed. But keep it on your radar because it is so very unconventional and good to read. If you are in a "oh my god, not the same story again"-funk - this is your way out.
January 8, 2018
Captivity and slavery, lots of ancient Roman debauchery, with an addition of murder and political intrigues... In other words, an enjoyable read if you don't mind dark themes.
February 13, 2020
Interesting start. I will read the rest once the final book is out.
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