What do you think?
Rate this book
Origin
A blackened past with no escape and the unexpected package that changed it all….
Her life and her body owned by the man who bought her, Kyndra Abbott has had enough. Determined to escape the abuse, the humiliation, the power of her owner, she risks it all.
Just when she was ready to give up she finds new hope in an unexpected package.
A tale of love, revenge and retribution with twists that will leave you shocked and tender moments that will melt your heart.
Can Kyndra truly escape her past? Can a discarded package really change her life?
Her life and her body owned by the man who bought her, Kyndra Abbott has had enough. Determined to escape the abuse, the humiliation, the power of her owner, she risks it all.
Just when she was ready to give up she finds new hope in an unexpected package.
A tale of love, revenge and retribution with twists that will leave you shocked and tender moments that will melt your heart.
Can Kyndra truly escape her past? Can a discarded package really change her life?
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2018
3 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Bianca Pheasant
4 books22 followersBianca Pheasant is a new voice in the world of mystery and crime thrillers. She made her debut with Electus Per Deus. Based on real-life occult crimes in South Africa, this title caused quite an uproar as Bianca wrote this novel while the investigation was still ongoing.
She lives in the grasslands of Limpopo with her three children, of which one is human and two are feline.
Bianca finds her inspiration from true crime and is fascinated by the motivation behind these crimes.
When she isn’t penning her latest novel, Bianca can be found curled up with a Chris Carter or Dean Koontz novel or watching Silence of the Lambs for the hundredth time.
She lives in the grasslands of Limpopo with her three children, of which one is human and two are feline.
Bianca finds her inspiration from true crime and is fascinated by the motivation behind these crimes.
When she isn’t penning her latest novel, Bianca can be found curled up with a Chris Carter or Dean Koontz novel or watching Silence of the Lambs for the hundredth time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 29, 2018
I have been a fan of Bianca Pheasant’s five short stories in the “Dark Murmurings” series and looked forward to her longer writing in the 230-page Origin. This novel is described as Book One in a “Mama’s Retribution” series so I expect to read more from her soon. She has a website in which she describes a difficulty she is having with her next book launch. It is worth looking at and following the links she provides to discover a problem that several authors, especially those starting out, might encounter.
This novel is all about characters. Central is Kyndra Abbott, a girl forced into prostitution by circumstances that struck me as unlikely. I won’t reveal the reason but it led to a life of almost eight years as a prostitute. The character of Kyndra as developed later in the novel seems to be too intelligent to have put up with the situation so long. True, there could have been an epiphany that woke up Kyndra to a change in direction of life but it seemed to me that there are two characters in one that don’t quite mesh. There could be many warnings applied to sections where Kyndra appears. Sex, tortured sex, kinky sex, and gory, violent beatings abound. This is not a novel to leave on the coffee table.
If there was an epiphany in Kyndra’s life, the trigger was Gordon. Finding a baby outside but near a dumpster can change a person’s outlook on life. There was a fleeting and strange description of a physical abnormality that would probably haunt Gordon forever but after once mentioned, this never appears again so I am not sure why it was mentioned in the first place. An early, obvious problem is: How does a working prostitute raise a child? The child is a distraction from making money, not to mention the costs of daycare.
Tony the Pimp is a disgusting character because pimps are. Tony is in the novel to administer punishments to all his “employees,” torture Kyndra especially and have sex with everyone and anyone. He arranges parties which could be more correctly termed orgies. Tony is consistently bad until he isn’t.
Kyle is a character more horrible than Tony. Possibly bipolar, Kyle constantly battles his beast from within to determine who has the ownership rights to Kyle’s next kill. Kyle must kill periodically so that the “beast” will be calm and Kyle as an entity will not explode. One night Kyle spotted Kyndra but before he could “select” her, Kyndra disappeared. But she was Kyle’s perfect girl, his fixation, and he was going to find and kill her if the beast did not get her first.
Ludwig Falke is a widower and perhaps a retired rich businessman. Readers don’t get to know much about Ludwig’s background. We don’t know where he got his money to build such a fantastic mansion. We do know that he has some mysterious, probably criminal, connections that allow him to easily get rid of bodies. There are lots of bodies. It is difficult to read of Ludwig and not recall a movie, Pretty Woman. Just because I mentioned the movie, a reader might think that explains Ludwig completely but no, there are surprises.
Clive and Perry are two unfortunates that attended one of Tony’s parties. They thought they were fortunate to be there. They especially liked Kyndra. Their feelings were not reciprocated. Eventually, they would play a game, not of their choosing, a logic game named “Prisoner’s Dilemma.”
I found the novel interesting despite the sex and violence. Returning to Kyndra, I found her unbelievable as stated above and for one more reason. Throughout the entire novel, she does a mental reminiscence of her old life after every positive thing that happens to her. If she finds a new boyfriend, she thinks of how he would accept her past. If there is a marriage, how could it be successful given her past? The reader begins to expect that at every positive point Kyndra is going to take a short mental trip to her past dragging the reader with her. This predictability is the one weakness I found in the story. That Pheasant didn’t develop all the characters doesn’t bother me. This is a series in the making.
I am always happy to find new words and expressions. The line that stopped me in this novel was “She hasted herself out of the car and slammed the door shut.” (loc 3052-3053). Hasted? That sent me to the dictionary and expanded my vocabulary. The writing style, interesting plot situations, and fast pacing led me to a four-star Amazon review. The book is available on Kindle Unlimited which is the way I read it.
This novel is all about characters. Central is Kyndra Abbott, a girl forced into prostitution by circumstances that struck me as unlikely. I won’t reveal the reason but it led to a life of almost eight years as a prostitute. The character of Kyndra as developed later in the novel seems to be too intelligent to have put up with the situation so long. True, there could have been an epiphany that woke up Kyndra to a change in direction of life but it seemed to me that there are two characters in one that don’t quite mesh. There could be many warnings applied to sections where Kyndra appears. Sex, tortured sex, kinky sex, and gory, violent beatings abound. This is not a novel to leave on the coffee table.
If there was an epiphany in Kyndra’s life, the trigger was Gordon. Finding a baby outside but near a dumpster can change a person’s outlook on life. There was a fleeting and strange description of a physical abnormality that would probably haunt Gordon forever but after once mentioned, this never appears again so I am not sure why it was mentioned in the first place. An early, obvious problem is: How does a working prostitute raise a child? The child is a distraction from making money, not to mention the costs of daycare.
Tony the Pimp is a disgusting character because pimps are. Tony is in the novel to administer punishments to all his “employees,” torture Kyndra especially and have sex with everyone and anyone. He arranges parties which could be more correctly termed orgies. Tony is consistently bad until he isn’t.
Kyle is a character more horrible than Tony. Possibly bipolar, Kyle constantly battles his beast from within to determine who has the ownership rights to Kyle’s next kill. Kyle must kill periodically so that the “beast” will be calm and Kyle as an entity will not explode. One night Kyle spotted Kyndra but before he could “select” her, Kyndra disappeared. But she was Kyle’s perfect girl, his fixation, and he was going to find and kill her if the beast did not get her first.
Ludwig Falke is a widower and perhaps a retired rich businessman. Readers don’t get to know much about Ludwig’s background. We don’t know where he got his money to build such a fantastic mansion. We do know that he has some mysterious, probably criminal, connections that allow him to easily get rid of bodies. There are lots of bodies. It is difficult to read of Ludwig and not recall a movie, Pretty Woman. Just because I mentioned the movie, a reader might think that explains Ludwig completely but no, there are surprises.
Clive and Perry are two unfortunates that attended one of Tony’s parties. They thought they were fortunate to be there. They especially liked Kyndra. Their feelings were not reciprocated. Eventually, they would play a game, not of their choosing, a logic game named “Prisoner’s Dilemma.”
I found the novel interesting despite the sex and violence. Returning to Kyndra, I found her unbelievable as stated above and for one more reason. Throughout the entire novel, she does a mental reminiscence of her old life after every positive thing that happens to her. If she finds a new boyfriend, she thinks of how he would accept her past. If there is a marriage, how could it be successful given her past? The reader begins to expect that at every positive point Kyndra is going to take a short mental trip to her past dragging the reader with her. This predictability is the one weakness I found in the story. That Pheasant didn’t develop all the characters doesn’t bother me. This is a series in the making.
I am always happy to find new words and expressions. The line that stopped me in this novel was “She hasted herself out of the car and slammed the door shut.” (loc 3052-3053). Hasted? That sent me to the dictionary and expanded my vocabulary. The writing style, interesting plot situations, and fast pacing led me to a four-star Amazon review. The book is available on Kindle Unlimited which is the way I read it.
January 23, 2018
This is a very open and no holds barred look at the life of a sex worker. The abuse these women suffer is horrendous and in many cases they are killed and discarded like rubbish, often they are alone in the world and this fact doesn't escape predators.
I can see potential here, Bianca Pheasant has a bit of a way to go still, but there is potential to become a best selling author. I am South African and I found it a bit weird to read terms commonly used here such as "flat" instead of "apartment" and "bubble gum" instead of "chewing gum/gum". I get the feeling she will do a fantastic job if she focuses her stories in South Africa, much like Electus Per Deus. it's almost as if she wavers between two worlds and that confuses me a bit.
There are also quite a few spelling errors, view instead of few is one I can think of now. This should be fixed, it does get a bit much after the first two or three.
Apart from that, good story, maybe being told a bit hesitatingly, but that sorts itself out in time. Well done Ms Pheasant, for giving us such a look into the lives of these poor women.
I try to do reviews for every book I read, and received a free copy of this book from the author.
I can see potential here, Bianca Pheasant has a bit of a way to go still, but there is potential to become a best selling author. I am South African and I found it a bit weird to read terms commonly used here such as "flat" instead of "apartment" and "bubble gum" instead of "chewing gum/gum". I get the feeling she will do a fantastic job if she focuses her stories in South Africa, much like Electus Per Deus. it's almost as if she wavers between two worlds and that confuses me a bit.
There are also quite a few spelling errors, view instead of few is one I can think of now. This should be fixed, it does get a bit much after the first two or three.
Apart from that, good story, maybe being told a bit hesitatingly, but that sorts itself out in time. Well done Ms Pheasant, for giving us such a look into the lives of these poor women.
I try to do reviews for every book I read, and received a free copy of this book from the author.
January 19, 2018
Kyndra is a broken woman, forced into a life of prostitution. There is no hope, no chance at happiness or a future worth living for. Men abuse her and death has been close. Then she meets Ludwig, and her life is set to change, but this isn’t your usual story – this isn’t a ‘Pretty Woman’ scenario, not by a long shot. Revenge comes first, then love …
Bianca Pheasant offers a well-constructed tale of a broken woman standing up again, and I lapped it up! Loved the twist of a survivalist shelter, a masked ball with nefarious intent, an old chauffeur doubling as guardian, a little boy who makes life worth living, and applauded the sisterhood of the women on the streets.
I can’t wait to read the next book!
Bianca Pheasant offers a well-constructed tale of a broken woman standing up again, and I lapped it up! Loved the twist of a survivalist shelter, a masked ball with nefarious intent, an old chauffeur doubling as guardian, a little boy who makes life worth living, and applauded the sisterhood of the women on the streets.
I can’t wait to read the next book!
August 17, 2019
Audible:This was a rough but very good story.It was full of heartbreak,murder and torment.It is also full of odd cadences,weird ways of speaking and a sub par narration by Gary Leo Smith.A woman narrator may have been better.Possibly and editor would have helped to make the sentences sound normal. The story,a prostitute is battered by everyone.She finds a baby and keeps it along with help from all her co workers.Her pimp Tony is a horrible man,when he sees the baby,he drops him and starts a blind fury in Kindra that ends in his death.She is rescued by a nice older man...who takes care of the bodies. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
February 11, 2018
The first half or so of this book is a very harrowing and depressing story of a young girl sold into prostitution by a drug addict boyfriend, there is a lot of very graphic violence and abuse, but it is worth persevering as things do improve, as the girl (Kyndra) finds the love that she has been deprived of. This is not a book for the squeamish, but the plot is great and the characters are very powerfully and graphically defined, and it is overall an incredibly moving story.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author, but I have voluntarily written this honest review based on my own opinions.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author, but I have voluntarily written this honest review based on my own opinions.
July 24, 2019
I got the Book on Audible as I can listen but not really read a lot at the moment. Soon I was lost in harrowing story of a badly treated prostitute who happens to find a baby. Her motherly instincts kicked in saving not only the abandoned baby but herself and all the other ladies of the night who stood together as a family to raise and protect the little one from Tony. I will stop there so I won't spoil it for everyone who hasn't read/listened to the book yet, but trust me it gets better and better.
I was sucked in from the get go and kept guessing as to how it would end. I am really looking forward to the next one from Bianca Pheasant.
I was sucked in from the get go and kept guessing as to how it would end. I am really looking forward to the next one from Bianca Pheasant.
January 30, 2018
WOW, WOW & WOW again!!!!. Totally unexpected after a typical start. A book that keeps you turning the pages because you can't wait until the next big surprise. I am so waiting for the next in this series. This is a new author for me and I will keep looking for more by her. I received an ARC in return for a fair and honest review. You're not going to get any spoilers from me. It's all yours to enjoy.
February 18, 2018
This fast-paced novel takes you into the seedier side of life. Prostitutes, pimps, romance, murder. This book has it all. Descriptive, raw and passionate, the author weaves a tale that leaves you wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the characters and I can't wait for the next one. Highly recommend.
February 6, 2018
Deep, gripping and beautifully written. ..
Bianca Pheasant once again grabs your attention from the first page. Love and redemption can be found in the strangest places. Can't wait for more from this author!
Bianca Pheasant once again grabs your attention from the first page. Love and redemption can be found in the strangest places. Can't wait for more from this author!
February 11, 2018
Rags to riches in the hardest way possible
This was a great read. Well rounded characters with an excellent story line leaving you wanting more. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
This was a great read. Well rounded characters with an excellent story line leaving you wanting more. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
January 31, 2018
Just excellent writing. Keep up the good work.
January 20, 2018
An abandoned baby, a young prostitute and and an elderly judge...what could these three unlikely characters possibly have in common???
Mama's Retribution is part rags-to-riches and part fairytale romance with a dark twist. Ms. Pheasant does a fantastic job of creating a intriguing tale that captivates and draws the reader in. Lots of interesting twists in this page-turner! I had difficulty putting this one down and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning just to finish.
Mama's Retribution is part rags-to-riches and part fairytale romance with a dark twist. Ms. Pheasant does a fantastic job of creating a intriguing tale that captivates and draws the reader in. Lots of interesting twists in this page-turner! I had difficulty putting this one down and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning just to finish.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews