What do you think?
Rate this book
Deprivation
A dismembered hand, pits of snakes, and no escape in sight.Claudia has woken to a chilling new reality.Raised amidst the technology hating upper class on the planet of Yahal, Claudia dreads the dull future lined up for her as a sheltered wife, hidden away from the universe. The only joy she finds is in stolen indulgences—passion, secrets, and games played in the safe shadows of the night. But when her forbidden indulgences in flesh and freedom are discovered, she finds herself abducted and stranded with nothing but her wits for defense.Locked in a vast space-dungeon filled with lethal traps, Claudia’s survival is uncertain. An unseen, sinister force wishes to mold her into an obedient and chaste woman or see her dead. A proper Yahal girl would probably succumb faced with starvation, spike pits, and decaying chambers filled with decomposing corpses. Claudia’s passionate instincts steer her in a different defy fate and survive. Claudia must break free from her prison and teach her captor that she is a predator, not prey.Don't miss out on this heart-pounding adventure - get your copy of "Deprivation" now and prepare to be captivated!
78 pages, Paperback
Published December 11, 2024
8 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Sprague
34 books50 followersHi. My name is Jesse and I’m a compulsive writer
I can’t help it. I write prolifically. I write because I must! And luckily for you, my dear reader, the stories never stop.
What do I write?
I write fantasy because the world we live in can feel like a trap.
I write sci-fi because I like to toy with worlds, universes, and cultures. I like to play god. I write horror as a kind of decadence. I mean, who doesn’t like writing that bleeds?
Regardless of what type of speculative fiction I write, you can expect that it will be dark. Whether my inspiration comes from a shiver crawling up my spine while darting across a dark parking lot, a fascination with Gothic heroines and their delightful kidnappability, or a desire to build a world to suit a spiffy MMO character, that dark undercurrent of fear makes me feel alive.
So, if you enjoy science fiction and fantasy with an eye to horror, join my readers group.
I’d love to have you along for special sneak-peeks, cover reveals, free stories, and more! Just to show how special you are to me, I’ll start you off with an exclusive short story!
I can’t help it. I write prolifically. I write because I must! And luckily for you, my dear reader, the stories never stop.
What do I write?
I write fantasy because the world we live in can feel like a trap.
I write sci-fi because I like to toy with worlds, universes, and cultures. I like to play god. I write horror as a kind of decadence. I mean, who doesn’t like writing that bleeds?
Regardless of what type of speculative fiction I write, you can expect that it will be dark. Whether my inspiration comes from a shiver crawling up my spine while darting across a dark parking lot, a fascination with Gothic heroines and their delightful kidnappability, or a desire to build a world to suit a spiffy MMO character, that dark undercurrent of fear makes me feel alive.
So, if you enjoy science fiction and fantasy with an eye to horror, join my readers group.
I’d love to have you along for special sneak-peeks, cover reveals, free stories, and more! Just to show how special you are to me, I’ll start you off with an exclusive short story!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 5, 2023
Deprivation- Jesse Sprague
5⭐️
My first thought after finishing this book was “WTF did I just read” Not in a bad way, more like confusion and awe. The writing was amazing and the story was interesting to say the least. Did I question my own sanity at points? Yes, yes I did. Did that ruin the story for me? No it did not, it made it even better!
I liked the fact that we switched times between each chapter, we were both in the present and the past, it was refreshing to start a story right in the middle of it. I didn’t get bored waiting for the action to happen, I got a bit of backstory and then back to the present. And so it went on. I found myself wondering who was the bad guy really? I got whiplash from trying to figure it out, was I right in the end? I don’t know, I switched so many times I can’t remember my final answer.
I feel like Jesse wrote the “out of her mind batshit crazy” parts really well, because man that is how I felt. I would say the book gave me Maze runner x Final girl vibes, and I’m here for it! This is what you can expect from Deprivation,
🗡️Arranged Marriage
🗡️Maze runner X Final girl
🗡️Revenge
🗡️Who is the bad guy?
🗡️Torture
I highly recommend this book to fans of those things! BUT beware this is NOT for the faint of heart, you need to read the trigger warnings.
Thank you Booksirens and Jesse for this ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
5⭐️
My first thought after finishing this book was “WTF did I just read” Not in a bad way, more like confusion and awe. The writing was amazing and the story was interesting to say the least. Did I question my own sanity at points? Yes, yes I did. Did that ruin the story for me? No it did not, it made it even better!
I liked the fact that we switched times between each chapter, we were both in the present and the past, it was refreshing to start a story right in the middle of it. I didn’t get bored waiting for the action to happen, I got a bit of backstory and then back to the present. And so it went on. I found myself wondering who was the bad guy really? I got whiplash from trying to figure it out, was I right in the end? I don’t know, I switched so many times I can’t remember my final answer.
I feel like Jesse wrote the “out of her mind batshit crazy” parts really well, because man that is how I felt. I would say the book gave me Maze runner x Final girl vibes, and I’m here for it! This is what you can expect from Deprivation,
🗡️Arranged Marriage
🗡️Maze runner X Final girl
🗡️Revenge
🗡️Who is the bad guy?
🗡️Torture
I highly recommend this book to fans of those things! BUT beware this is NOT for the faint of heart, you need to read the trigger warnings.
Thank you Booksirens and Jesse for this ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 14, 2024
WOW! I did not expect this book to capture my attention as quickly as it did. Going between the past and the present, this story explains how Claudia came to be in a living hell - and how she navigates her existence once there. There was a fantastic flow to the story, with many twists and turns provided through the characters, and the setting only added to the story. I think my brain may have nearly exploded from trying to unravel the story as I read it (in the absolutely best way possible... I had to know what happened and who was responsible!). I feel as though Deprivation was a perfect blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, with a bonus of featuring a strong female lead.
Thanks to Book Sirens for the advance review copy! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thanks to Book Sirens for the advance review copy! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 1, 2024
At first glance, there's something lovely about the world that the author has created. It feels very Regency, a splash of Steampunk, Sci-fi in that comforting way that reminds us of our world. It's tangible. However, with this comes familiarity in a other ways.
Yahal is God fearing, the women are to be seen and not heard, they're proper in high society, and dirt in low, and none of them seem to have their own autonomy. If they do, they're punished. This is a world owned by men, and the struggles of femininity that are so current even in today's landscape are familiar here.
Claudia goes through a journey from blissful ignorance in girl hood, moulded by her environment and her experiences. All she wants is that control, and she gets it. She's stupid, she's fallible, she makes some decisions that seem bad, but actually… She had no real choice in some. It's fascinating seeing that growth, and the other female characters, and how they fit into this world too and what they represent. Womanhood, feminism, the idea of maiden, mother and crone feel like they're all explored within this story - even when the words you're reading aren't making much sense.
Beautiful descriptions embellish the text and paint a picture, it takes a while to start piecing parts of the two time lines together, and although there were sections that did feel like a bit of a slog and some parts that felt random, that last 50 pages definitely made up for it and tied it all together. There's a twist, there's a guessing game, there's an element of horror entwined, and there's the ramblings of unsound minds that make so much sense later down the line. Tangled up in all of this is the commentary on God, in a higher power and faith. Will faith save us, or is this just another male aligning deity suppressing us?
Some of the wording does feel a little verbose, with words that may have some scratching their heads, and descriptions feeling like they've got carried away but all in all it's a solid story, which can be mulled over. It's not a long book and it comes full circle, which is always gratifying. You can read it as a standalone without feeling like you're lost in the world the author has created in a negative way, and I appreciate that.
However, I will be looking to see what else she has on offer!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Yahal is God fearing, the women are to be seen and not heard, they're proper in high society, and dirt in low, and none of them seem to have their own autonomy. If they do, they're punished. This is a world owned by men, and the struggles of femininity that are so current even in today's landscape are familiar here.
Claudia goes through a journey from blissful ignorance in girl hood, moulded by her environment and her experiences. All she wants is that control, and she gets it. She's stupid, she's fallible, she makes some decisions that seem bad, but actually… She had no real choice in some. It's fascinating seeing that growth, and the other female characters, and how they fit into this world too and what they represent. Womanhood, feminism, the idea of maiden, mother and crone feel like they're all explored within this story - even when the words you're reading aren't making much sense.
Beautiful descriptions embellish the text and paint a picture, it takes a while to start piecing parts of the two time lines together, and although there were sections that did feel like a bit of a slog and some parts that felt random, that last 50 pages definitely made up for it and tied it all together. There's a twist, there's a guessing game, there's an element of horror entwined, and there's the ramblings of unsound minds that make so much sense later down the line. Tangled up in all of this is the commentary on God, in a higher power and faith. Will faith save us, or is this just another male aligning deity suppressing us?
Some of the wording does feel a little verbose, with words that may have some scratching their heads, and descriptions feeling like they've got carried away but all in all it's a solid story, which can be mulled over. It's not a long book and it comes full circle, which is always gratifying. You can read it as a standalone without feeling like you're lost in the world the author has created in a negative way, and I appreciate that.
However, I will be looking to see what else she has on offer!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 15, 2024
We are first introduced to Claudia when she wakes up in a space dungeon filled with lethal traps. The way Sprague begins the book and the situation Claudia find herself made me immediately interested to continue with the story and see how it unfolds.
The story is told through a parallel timeline. The past provides insights into what life is like for Claudia. The MC is an aristocrat on the planet of Yahal preparing for an important event in her life. All these flashback scenes reminded me of novels set during Victorian times because of each characters’ mannerism, speech, and clothing. There are still mentions of hovercrafts so there are reminders that Claudia’s community is different from the outside galaxy. I thought this was a fascinating concept since you usually don’t see a society in space who is wary of technology to this extreme degree. Unsurprisingly, this society is quite strict on its belief in women’s roles and believe they will easily be corrupted by technology.
Personally, I had a couple of issues with the story which lowered my rating. First, I could not stand Claudia and the decision she made. So many of her actions were driven by lust and this drove me up a wall. I understood her desire to want more in life. However, when she begins pursuing someone rather than try to work toward those hopes, I quickly became frustrated. Another issue I found with Claudia was how she displayed certain skills in the present, but they didn't match what we know about her in the past. I also found her personality to be wildly discordant. Lastly, all the present scenes made me think of a Victorian fever dream. This writing style made things a little too hazy for my liking. At times, these scenes were reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Overall, I blame my expectations for my rating. I was really excited to pick this up and anticipated this to be a survival horror set in a space dungeon, but it’s not. This is truly a Victorian fever dream set in space. There is less of a focus on Claudia’s survival and more on how she ended up in this situation. This was well-written, but the writing style and the plot were not for me.
Thank you BookSirens and the author for providing me a free copy of this novel for a chance to share my thoughts.
The story is told through a parallel timeline. The past provides insights into what life is like for Claudia. The MC is an aristocrat on the planet of Yahal preparing for an important event in her life. All these flashback scenes reminded me of novels set during Victorian times because of each characters’ mannerism, speech, and clothing. There are still mentions of hovercrafts so there are reminders that Claudia’s community is different from the outside galaxy. I thought this was a fascinating concept since you usually don’t see a society in space who is wary of technology to this extreme degree. Unsurprisingly, this society is quite strict on its belief in women’s roles and believe they will easily be corrupted by technology.
Personally, I had a couple of issues with the story which lowered my rating. First, I could not stand Claudia and the decision she made. So many of her actions were driven by lust and this drove me up a wall. I understood her desire to want more in life. However, when she begins pursuing someone rather than try to work toward those hopes, I quickly became frustrated. Another issue I found with Claudia was how she displayed certain skills in the present, but they didn't match what we know about her in the past. I also found her personality to be wildly discordant. Lastly, all the present scenes made me think of a Victorian fever dream. This writing style made things a little too hazy for my liking. At times, these scenes were reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Overall, I blame my expectations for my rating. I was really excited to pick this up and anticipated this to be a survival horror set in a space dungeon, but it’s not. This is truly a Victorian fever dream set in space. There is less of a focus on Claudia’s survival and more on how she ended up in this situation. This was well-written, but the writing style and the plot were not for me.
Thank you BookSirens and the author for providing me a free copy of this novel for a chance to share my thoughts.
February 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
"And existence was not meant to be pleasant."
"Everything was different without hope."
"Her heart was blind, but it did beat."
"The only thing you love is you"
This book made me feel like I fell through a rabbit hole into a psychological thriller. Jesse Sprague's writing style night not be for everyone, and the trigger warnings should be read.
It was a very interesting read about a God- fearing world, scared of women who actually have a voice and some sense of themselves and their desires. The preserverance of the main character and the full circle story made this an okay read. The writing was a bit grating at times, but it allows you a look into the mind of the broken main character, who is fighting for herself, and to make it out of the hellscape she landed in.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"And existence was not meant to be pleasant."
"Everything was different without hope."
"Her heart was blind, but it did beat."
"The only thing you love is you"
This book made me feel like I fell through a rabbit hole into a psychological thriller. Jesse Sprague's writing style night not be for everyone, and the trigger warnings should be read.
It was a very interesting read about a God- fearing world, scared of women who actually have a voice and some sense of themselves and their desires. The preserverance of the main character and the full circle story made this an okay read. The writing was a bit grating at times, but it allows you a look into the mind of the broken main character, who is fighting for herself, and to make it out of the hellscape she landed in.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 30, 2024
This book was a unique and gripping read. This is the second book I've read by Jesse, and I will be reading more. This book was about Claudia, and her bethroned husband and the other man she forbiddenly fell in love with, with a number of twists and turns that puts her and her lover at risk. This book is definitely a unique read and the world-building is unique and different for a different spin on a more classical love story. Had the right amount of everything.. romance, horror, adventure and mystery. Jesse is definitely on my must read author list. She writes such unique and compelling stories I have a hard time putting down. Glad I came across her and her works. I look forward to more books from her. I really like how she writes.
January 5, 2024
It was hard to put down!
"Depravation" delves into the nature of people in a morally corrupt society that values strict piousness and the virtuous obedience of women. As trophies and chattel, women are not meant to think, to dream, to want. Unfortunately, this type of society exists in our own world, and I could not stop thinking about the parallels. Fortunately, our protagonist's entire plight is based on her persistent agency.
Among the horrors of her captivity, hardly “living” among women and corpses damned to hell on a spaceship, Claudia transforms into something unintended by her captors. She was never free to begin with, as her arranged marriage conflicted with her desire to love another, to explore the universe, and to be free to think and do what is forbidden to women. Which cage is worse?
The alternating between present and past, as the two narratives entwine, funnels the mystery into a surprising conclusion. The story makes a strong statement about the needs of the men in the story: to control, to dominate, to demand. Who are the depraved ones here, really?
The intrigue surrounding the mysterious identity of her captor adds an extra layer of suspense. It all comes together in the end in a way that makes perfect sense in context of this masterful world Sprague has created. The elegant writing of the past and the deliberately confused and questioning language of Claudia’s hell demonstrates a contrast in her state of mind as she transforms into a new being and emerges stronger and with newfound personal power.
Overall an excellent novel and something I will be recommending to friends who enjoy this genre.
Note: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Depravation" delves into the nature of people in a morally corrupt society that values strict piousness and the virtuous obedience of women. As trophies and chattel, women are not meant to think, to dream, to want. Unfortunately, this type of society exists in our own world, and I could not stop thinking about the parallels. Fortunately, our protagonist's entire plight is based on her persistent agency.
Among the horrors of her captivity, hardly “living” among women and corpses damned to hell on a spaceship, Claudia transforms into something unintended by her captors. She was never free to begin with, as her arranged marriage conflicted with her desire to love another, to explore the universe, and to be free to think and do what is forbidden to women. Which cage is worse?
The alternating between present and past, as the two narratives entwine, funnels the mystery into a surprising conclusion. The story makes a strong statement about the needs of the men in the story: to control, to dominate, to demand. Who are the depraved ones here, really?
The intrigue surrounding the mysterious identity of her captor adds an extra layer of suspense. It all comes together in the end in a way that makes perfect sense in context of this masterful world Sprague has created. The elegant writing of the past and the deliberately confused and questioning language of Claudia’s hell demonstrates a contrast in her state of mind as she transforms into a new being and emerges stronger and with newfound personal power.
Overall an excellent novel and something I will be recommending to friends who enjoy this genre.
Note: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 30, 2023
Claudia has been raised to be the perfect wife: biddable, pure, and thoughtless. However she yearns for the forbidden. When her sins are revealed, she is forced into a hellscape prison where traps and sudden, violent death lie in wait in every corner. Will Claudia submit and conform to her incarcerator’s wishes, or will she find her own freedom?
Claudia is a true product of her world, lacking in critical thinking and agency. She feels very little at all and seems to be almost empty inside. Her soulless view of her world causes a severe disconnection from the horrors she’s facing. As she descends into madness, her separation from reality worsens, giving the book a disconcerting, dreamy feeling. The lack of personal feeling and agency makes Claudia a difficult protagonist to root for, but still makes for a fascinating read.
Overall, Deprivation is a very psychologically unnerving dark Sci-Fi/Horror tale with heavy themes of religious restriction and female subjugation that will keep you guessing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Claudia is a true product of her world, lacking in critical thinking and agency. She feels very little at all and seems to be almost empty inside. Her soulless view of her world causes a severe disconnection from the horrors she’s facing. As she descends into madness, her separation from reality worsens, giving the book a disconcerting, dreamy feeling. The lack of personal feeling and agency makes Claudia a difficult protagonist to root for, but still makes for a fascinating read.
Overall, Deprivation is a very psychologically unnerving dark Sci-Fi/Horror tale with heavy themes of religious restriction and female subjugation that will keep you guessing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 15, 2024
Thank you to Jesse Sprague and Booksirens for ARC in return for an honest review.
Deprivation: A Dark Fantasy Horror (The Drambish Contaminate Trilogy)
Claudia has been raised in her step fathers house on the planet of Yahal she has led a sheltered life, her lack of enthusiasm in her arranged marriage and her desire to explore her sexuality in her Victorian life is what ensues is her awaking in a room to a dismembered arm protruding from the floor.
I loved this raw and bloodthirsty book and loved each chapter as it bounced between previous and present so you learned of Claudia's journey to how she awoke in the room. I was besotted with the twists and turns and each chapter and thought I knew who was to blame and found myself shouting at characters who I thought couldn't be trusted to find they could. This book was awesome and kept me guessing the whole way through I loved Jesse's writing and found this book was originally a wattpad novel with over eight thousand votes. This book gave me Thirteen Ghosts and slivers of Saw.
I'll definitely be reading this author and can't wait for the next book in this trilogy.
Deprivation: A Dark Fantasy Horror (The Drambish Contaminate Trilogy)
Claudia has been raised in her step fathers house on the planet of Yahal she has led a sheltered life, her lack of enthusiasm in her arranged marriage and her desire to explore her sexuality in her Victorian life is what ensues is her awaking in a room to a dismembered arm protruding from the floor.
I loved this raw and bloodthirsty book and loved each chapter as it bounced between previous and present so you learned of Claudia's journey to how she awoke in the room. I was besotted with the twists and turns and each chapter and thought I knew who was to blame and found myself shouting at characters who I thought couldn't be trusted to find they could. This book was awesome and kept me guessing the whole way through I loved Jesse's writing and found this book was originally a wattpad novel with over eight thousand votes. This book gave me Thirteen Ghosts and slivers of Saw.
I'll definitely be reading this author and can't wait for the next book in this trilogy.
January 14, 2024
A twisted, dark horror proving how sheer resilience and strength of will can fight against demonic forces of darkness and cruel humans as a whole in order to survive ones supposed fate.
The story had multi perspectives from the various unique characters within it along with a vividly gruesome atmosphere which added to the overall dark effect of the story as what would have been intended. It portrayed betrayal from ones own kin quite well although it was a bit "too dark" in parts which did at times detract from the story for me as a reader.
In general, it was an interesting read with a good ending.
The story had multi perspectives from the various unique characters within it along with a vividly gruesome atmosphere which added to the overall dark effect of the story as what would have been intended. It portrayed betrayal from ones own kin quite well although it was a bit "too dark" in parts which did at times detract from the story for me as a reader.
In general, it was an interesting read with a good ending.
December 31, 2024
A thrilling ride into a girls forced marriage and her loving another man. Going through trials of her own to find peace in her life. A thrilling journey and page Turner. Kept me on the edge of my seat.
January 15, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for this opportunity
September 5, 2025
Deliciously disturbing
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews