Under His Heel

Under His Heel #1

by Adara Wolf

Alex is trapped. His life has been one bad decision after the other, and now he's forced to work off his debt with a spaceship captain or risk a fate worse than death.

Captain Tracht is respected and well-connected. Unfortunately, he also has some very questionable private interests, and makes no secret that he intends Alex to participate in them, whether he likes it or not.

It's an experience of pain, humiliation, and tears, but somehow Alex finds himself growing less and less interested in his eventual release...

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Dark, Science Fiction, Erotica, Dark Romance, Abuse

357 pages, ebook

First published March 23, 2018

About the author

I write almost exclusive m/m, but I have a fondness for bisexual protagonists. I enjoy a lot of darker themes, so you'll see a lot of that around here.

When I’m not writing, I’m reading, painting, playing video games, and rescuing cats. I also enjoy learning about languages and other cultures.

If you're ever curious about the contents of my works, I put content notes on my website (http://adarawolf.com)

You can also follow me on facebook and twitter. I also have a Patreon account

Reviews

[Nazanin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I’ve read BDSM and Drak books and quite enjoyed them! At some point, I was so sure that I would have enjoyed this one too! But unfortunately, it was a disappointment for me! In this book, there was no character that I would like! I hate both MCs, oh not just MCs but all the characters! From the first, I knew this one isn’t going to be a love story but honestly I expected to feel a connection between them, feel the love between them, or at least feel something good but there was nothing at all! Oh yeah, there was something! Just humiliation and degradation, I felt them because all the story was like that! Tracht was a real jerk, an @sshole and Alex was like a stupid guy who behaves childish and doesn’t know anything, someone who can’t use his brain correctly! Well, I can’t say I like this one but I hope you enjoy it more than me!

[Literatures Movies · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book a minus rating, I would have.

If I could tear this book apart and burn it to the ground, I would have. (Sadly, I have this in ebook form. )


Firstly, this book is trash.

Secondly, I don't know why there are so many 4/5 stars rating on this book. Because : refer for point 1.


There is no plot whatsoever. The MCs are dumb as a brick.

Alex – the supposed slave – talks and acts as if he was a high schooler. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. I don't know. I did not stick around that long to find out.

Tracht? Was that his name? Honestly, even if I spelled it wrong, I could not give a shit. He was the supposed owner/ Dom/whatever the fuck this relationship is.

The connection between Alex and Tracht is nonexistent. Their whole relationship, is based on sex. And S&M shit. And some more sex.

Actually, the whole book is just one fucking big orgy.

The MC fucks other men.

The MC fucks other women.

The MC participates in threesomes. Maybe even foursomes?

EVERYBODY WANTS TO FUCK. AND I MEAN EVERYONE.


The kink goes all the way from whipping, caning, tickle torture, to piercing, denial, public sex, public bondage and puppy play.



My brain literally hurt from the sheer amount of times I rolled my eyes while skimming this book.

If you are looking for sex on top of sex on top of sex with no plot, then maybe give this book a try.

If not, don't even bother.

[Moony Eliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dec 2018 reread: I enjoyed this pass even more, and I picked up on a lot of nuance that I missed during my first read. Upgrading to 4.5 stars rounded up.

The characters in this book aren’t particularly likable, and morally gray is probably too generous. This won’t look like romance to many readers, and the kink is 179 degrees from SSC RACK. What I revere is the fact that the author created a compelling story regardless. The narrative voice was uncomfortable and hard to identify with — which was true to the characterization of the emotionally stunted MC — and yet... I found myself leaning into it, aww-ing at sweet moments, and rooting for them despite it all, and that’s top-notch writing.

————————

Oy vey. I am HOOKED.

First of all, slow clap of admiration for this author. I underestimated her. For roughly the first third of the book, I was feeling that the characters were a little flat. At that point I assumed this book would be essentially kink porn, minimally developed beyond a base foundation for the sex. But as the story progressed and I realized what was unfolding, I started to really trust what the author was doing.

I feel like it’s probably best to go into this one a little bit blind, so I’m not going to write much about the premise. But don’t be blind about this one thing: Under His Heel is NOT everyone’s bag of tricks. If you have triggers or hard limits, maybe just stay away. Or at minimum, thoroughly peruse the reviews first for content warnings.

Also, if you require a solid plot outside of the MCs’ relationship, you might not enjoy this one. The character development and relationship evolution ARE the plot here. Which I personally loved — I’ll happily take that as the primary story almost every time.

The editing could have been tighter; there were definitely typos. I had to laugh because the sexy times tended to have a few more of them... the editors might have been a little distracted and less eagle-eyed while proofing those parts. 😂

If this were a standalone instead of the first in a series, I would be pissed. It’s not that it ends on a cliffhanger - it doesn’t - but you’ll definitely be left wanting more of the story. At least, I do. Really really do.

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If you stay loyal to me, I’ll continue to indulge you even while I hurt you.”

Where to start? Under His Heel is a dark and depraved erotica. It has sadomasochism, master/slave, humiliation, grooming, brainwashing, stockholm syndrome, mind break, rape, body modification and more. There are many kinks in this book!

We have Alex, who has swindled and conned many people with his twin brother Nick. They decide to go after the wrong people and are caught. With a debt he could never pay off, he enters into an agreement to become a bondservant, basically a debt-leasing service. The owner of his contract - Captain Tracht - will pay off the debt, but he will belong to them for an agreed-upon time frame.
However, he never imagined he would become the bondservant to a twisted sick sadistic pervert.

Tracht is a sadist with low empathy who enjoys humiliation and gets off sexually to brutality. He is who he is; he does not change at all throughout the story. Any affection he has for Alex comes at the cost of his suffering. So don’t expect redemption or a hidden sweet side; he’s truly a fucked up and terrifying individual.

“The difficult part, Alex, is that the nature of my... perversities, as you called them once, is that the more I like you, the more I want to hurt you.”

“Alex. I also clearly remember telling you that my affection for you came with a desire to see you continue to suffer. Now, behave, or the rest of tonight will go a lot less pleasantly for you.”

“If I could do it without breaking you,” Tracht said, “I would flay your skin open. Have you suck me off afterwards, just like this, blood running down your back.”

He brainwashes and conditions him slowly using both physical and psychological methods. He breaks Alex down and puts him back together over and over again. Crafting him into his perfect bondservant.

No matter what happens to him with Tracht, you can't totally feel sorry for Alex. He has zero emotional intelligence, rude, crass, hotheaded, stupid to the point that you kind of pity him, gullible, and an all-round unlikable fella. Self-preservation? Who is she? Never heard of her.

It’s odd, but I think Alex being groomed and going through all that insanity with Tracht also allowed him to flourish and grow? As messed up as it sounds, he becomes more self-assured and confident. Don’t me get wrong, he still has issues, but I liked seeing him be able to stand up to people such as his brother. Also, in a way Alex comes to accept his fate because, let’s be honest, I think he’s better off with him and he knows it too. I also like how needy Alex becomes and how he starts to crave Tracht's attention and touches as well.

The sex was still mostly painful or humiliating for Alex, and he hated it in the moment, but Alex was kind of okay with his situation overall.

What affection or care we do see from Tracht is very much still twisted.

“The thing is…” Tracht continued, “I love watching him being humiliated. But I don’t enjoy somebody trying to force my hand in any way.” He let go of Alex and stepped away. “And I certainly refuse to allow a low-class scum of any sort touch my bondservant.”

“Alex. You’re going to put up with my ‘perverted stuff’ whether you want to or not. But you can rest assured that I have no intention of doing anything that would cause your loyalty to me to waver.”

This story heavily focused on the relationship between Alex and Tracht. So I would say if you're looking for a deeper story outside of their relationship this book is not the one. However, I do like the world building we get as it allows us to have an idea of universe this story takes place in.

There's a couple of really really dark and fucked up scenes in this book that I won't go into but let's say that people like to dish out their own uh punishments when they are wronged. Law? Police? Nope.

Is there any romance? I would say not really at least in the traditional sense but I do think as their story continues their relationship will become more than just bondservant and master.

Overall I enjoyed and loved Under His Heel! It hit all my darker cravings and I can't believe I waited so long to read it. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series. Please please check trigger warnings if you are interested, this book is not for everyone.

-----

Book 1 - Under His Heel -
Book 2 - A Kidnapping - My Review
Book 3 - Under His Control - My Review
Book 4 - Under His Skin - My Review
Under His... Shorts - My Review

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my favorite kinks in one convenient package; it’s like Adara Wolf wrote Under His Heel just for me. I’ve been craving something deliciously dark and this Master/slave story is creative and dirty as hell. This is in no way, shape, or form, your Risk-Aware Consensual BDSM novel, so if you’re sensitive be sure to check the list of trigger warnings.

Adara Wolf paints a vivid picture of a gritty, futuristic world that lacks in clear-cut rules, laws, and consequences. Here people take justice into their own hands, and everybody seems to be just fine with that. (Forget the rules that govern our society, because they simply don’t exist here.) This is a fascinating culture and it never stopped amazing me.

This novel hooked me from the get-go and once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. Under His Heel has some wonderfully diverse and complex characters, and its exploration of Master/slave dynamics is the best I’ve read in ages. This is straight up dark erotica: hot, dirty, kinky perfection.

Here’s the gist: Alex Stone and his twin brother Nick are subpar con-artists whose misdeeds finally catch up with them. Rather than face the thugs they owe, they decide to register Alex through a debt-leasing service. In exchange for five years of his life, his owner will pay off their debt. What could possibly go wrong?

Meet his new owner, Captain Tracht, a self-proclaimed sadist and sexual deviant. The whole reason he takes on a contract is to humiliate his slave and watch him suffer. In fact, Tracht had to return his previous bondservant once he figured out the masochist liked what Tracht was doing, of all the nerve!

Tracht begins to systematically program Alex to appreciate his new position, and it doesn’t take long. Alex struggles between being comforted and angered, stimulated and repulsed, ashamed and proud. Grateful for every respite from pain, hunger, humiliation, and more, Alex begins to see Tracht as his savior.

There’s no question that Alex is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Where do I start? Coming from an abusive home he’s been on his own since he was fourteen. Always on the run, he never received a formal education and he views the world only as it pertains to himself. He never developed the social skills necessary to participate in general society, and doesn’t recognize emotional clues in others. Failing to understand others’ motivations leads to some difficult situations for Alex.

Captain Tracht is my new hero. He is a sadist of the highest order, completely reveling in his position of power. The skill and affected indifference with which he conditions Alex is awe inspiring. Some of his actions (oh hell, most of his actions) are thoroughly depraved and he clearly feels no remorse. Damn, I hope the next story with Captain Tracht comes out soon!

Adara Wolf is currently writing a novella about Tracht and Alex entitled A Kidnapping, and an excerpt is available on her website. Thank goodness, because after Under His Heel I can’t get enough. Fans of dark erotica take note, this author knows what she’s doing. I hope to see lots more where this came from.

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 4.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3.8

First of all. This is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea



Secondly: I have read some of the other reviews, and I have to agree with the fact that I also think this an established author writing under another name? Not that it matters at all to me. I just found it interesting that there are people who got the same feel?

Third: Wow... So I might be kind of “knocked-on-the-head” for enjoying this. I know. But. Enjoy it I did. And I feel that it has to be said that I applaud the author, be that “new” or “not” for being as direct as they were.



I couldn’t put this down. Especially in the beginning. I found the concept of putting yourself up for payment of your dept something else. It was interesting.

Tracht gives Alex the impression that there is nothing to “fear” from him. He is soft spoken and precise, when they first meet. But Alex soon learns what you see isn’t necessarily what you get.

I “liked” Tracht. He is what he is. He’s NOT a nice man. He has very strange proclivities for which he makes no apologies. He knows what he wants and he is not afraid of taking it. Even when he feels drawn to Alex, he states the problem very clearly.

Tracht nibbled on Alex’s earlobe. “The difficult part, Alex, is that the nature of my... perversities, as you called them once, is that the more I like you, the more I want to hurt you.” He raked a fingernail across Alex’s nipple, a sharp contrast to the soft kissing and nibbling.

Tracht is a sadist. There are probably a variety of other things or labels you can put on him, and it won’t matter. He will still love the taste of Alex’s tears. He will still love the power trip from being in complete control.

Alex. Hmmm. He was a little more complicated for me to “like” at times. I did like him, don’t get me wrong. And on one hand I kind of understand why his character didn’t turn out to be a suppressed genius who suddenly could stand on his own feet and see the world for what it is.

That simply would not have worked in the “relationship” dynamics between the two MC’s. I would however have loved a little more “growth” in his character? He does get around to a better understanding of things, but if there was to be just a little more. It would have been so perfect.

Alex is perfect for Tracht. Their relationship is totally unbalanced. It’s not “romantic” in any conventional way. Yet, you still get the idea has the story progresses that NO ONE will mess with Alex if not by order from Tracht.

In his own twisted way, he cares, and he takes-care of Alex. Very twisted. But still.
I liked the way this book “shocked” me. Maybe that’s why I did enjoy it the way I did? Because of the total No! You didn’t! Factors.

Anyhow. I think it was brilliant writing.

Why not 5 stars? Because I felt the ending didn’t live up to the rest of the story. That and DON’T READ THIS IF YOU STILL WANT TO READ THE BOOK!!

I didn’t much care for the way they chose to deal with the “EVIL TWIN BROTHER”. I got it. But I didn’t enjoy it. I would much preferred Tracht giving his sorry ass to a “dark-acquaintance” to “enjoy” for a few years or so.

I always say, if you want to do dark, then do dark. I felt this was pretty good in that respect. Keep in mind this is not a murder and mayhem kind of dark though. It’s just a DARK-KINKY-SIDE kind of thing.

[Teal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Here's something you don't see every day:

5 stars and a Best of the Year rating to the first book I read by this author, followed a week later by 1 star and a DNF for the second book.

I don't want to try to compare this with In Life, In Death, or take the time to describe the dissatisfactions I had with the story up to the 40% point (where I gave up). Suffice it say it was a mismatch between me and the book, and those issues were irrelevant in the face of the overriding one.

I love morally ambiguous MCs -- they're the best kind -- and I love redemption arcs, but sometimes I find a character beyond the pale. Watching wealthy, powerful, privileged Tracht delight in terrorizing and torturing a poor, stupid kid -- literally poor, literally stupid, without a home or resources or friends or recourse of any kind -- was repellent. When Tracht's crony and occasional helpmeet the ship's doctor joined him in looming over a bound Alex, the two of them practically cackling with glee at the physical abuse they were about to unleash on him, I'd had enough. Tracht's behavior struck me as merely one step up from torturing a puppy. Or one-and-a-half steps up from torturing a baby for sexual gratification.

For me that meant no redemption was possible. My HEA would have had Tracht shot in the head and thrown out an airlock. His crony could be tossed out the airlock without the benefit of being dead first. Fun times, right?

My thanks and appreciation to fellow buddy readers Moony and Xia Xia, who were patient with me and with whom I had some great side conversations.

Adara Wolf, WTF is it with your books? Apparently I either love 'em or hate 'em.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like JenMcJ review says all I want to say. Definitely and FINALLY more of a sadist. Please note: This is FICTION. I don't expect my MM SCiFi fiction to abide by RACK or SSC BDSM rules. It's perfectly ok to me when you sign a contract to be a sort of slave and sadism is a part of it that things happen. And beyond things you agreed too.

This reads like the authors been thinking about this world a while and has quite nicely built it up - the flow was very good and I didn't find much to nitpick on.

Since I am a masochist (IRL) and I so rarely find good S/m w/o high protocol or a bunch of contract negotiations or having to wade through a bunch of D/s to get to the good stuff - this is like nectar for me :) Setting in SciFi removes it from having to meet all those pesky Earth based rules IMHO.

[JenMcJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

This is the kind of m/m, S/m book that I think the review says a lot about the reader. It's full of serious S/m, psychological manipulation and bondservant/slave dubcon.

Tracht is a true sadist and his treatment of Alex is brutal both mentally and physically. Tracht isn't fully ethical and is in no way a perfect dom but his flaws are part of what make this book compelling. It's pain and kink and humiliation and sex and very hawt. It does have tremendous emotional moments but because Alex is definitely emotionally and possibly mentally stunted he doesn't recognize them at all. He picks up on very few emotional cues, including moral and ethical questions. Not just his, but Tracht, Nick, Parsons, anyone - including himself - he just doesn't get it.

Now, this is the kind of book I actually enjoy (read: love) that isn't going to be for everyone. There is at least one scene near the end of the book that might throw the casual bdsm reader off. Serious spoiler, don't read if you want the best full effect of this book and don't have trigger concerns: there is a scene of noncon twincest This book has a lot of emotion and connection, it's just not obvious at all.

I feel like Adara Wolf is a pseudonym but I could be wrong. This appears to be a first book. Whoever Adara Wolf is....I hope she writes faster. This reminds me of Sci Fi versions of early J.C. Owens or all of Thom Lane, Tales of Amaranth books and I want more. Even the book cover is very similar to Thom Lane ToA series.

This was also well edited, well written and engrossing. I couldn't put it down.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fucked up and apparently, so am I, cause I would lick the words off the floor if that was the only way to consume it.



My taste in books is just getting more and more depraved. Tracht is a manipulative asshole with the cunning of a fox and Alex is an emotionally stunted rabid bunny rabbit.

Are they good people? Absolutely the fuck not.

Am I infatuated with them regardless? You better believe it.

These characters are not "likable" in any traditional sense. And forget morally grey - this is the moral equivalent of a black hole. Any moral objections I could possibly raise are sucked in and obliterated; crushed into a spacetime singularity with no hope of escape.

I love that we have Parsons as a character to represent a more typical "good guy" mindset or "vanilla" as Tracht would call it. Having his perspective in the storyline makes all the icky stuff even more deliciously icky. His yuck is my yum.

And how very yummy it is. *smirks in sadist*

[Xia and the Giant TBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked:
1. Tracht was a sadist from beginning to end. He stuck to the character, tormenting, humiliating and showing Alex the sharpness of his tough love. He didn't get sappy, sugary or lame in his behavior, never letting go of what made him a sadist on behalf of love
2. Alex had a nice character development arc. He was a conman, a delinquent, who sold himself into bondage for a 5 years contract to pay a huge debt made by his twin brother. He was a major naive dumbass. At no point during the story did I feel any pity for what was happening to him. He sold himself into bondage knowing how dangerous it would get. Suck it up, boy! *pun intended* But during the second half of the book he started being aware of his stupidity and learning and growing. I liked that.
3. Nice character development for two side characters.

What I didn't like:
1. Some sadist scenes Tracht pulled - I could have done without. Not out of shock value or because I couldn't take them (I've read Claustrophilia, I'm practically immune), but out of boredom. The character development would have gone just the same without them.
2. No major plot


Overal rating is 3.5.

Writing: 4
My enjoyment: 3.5
Plot 2.5
Character development: 4.

Thank you to Moony and Teal for the buddy read and the awesome side conversations on the book. :D

P.S. I don't like dumbasses as MCs in stories. I don't find "stupid" hot or interesting. But I didn't let that affect my rating because Alex had a nice character development.

[Sebby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever wanted to watch two sociopaths form their own fucked up conglomeration of a relationship? Look no further than this absolute what the fuck did I just read piece of literature. This was the equivalent of a deadly multi vehicle car crash that I could not tear my eyes away from despite my absolute horror. So glad these two found each other and saved the rest of the galaxy from having to suffer through their depravity unless you have the unfortunate luck of pissing one of them off then even god can’t help you babes. Also Alex was so dumb he pissed me off so bad like dude do you not have a single survival instinct? Has the lizard part of your brain hardwired to protect yourself from dying short circuited or something? I think if I saw Alex in a dark alley I would deck him just to see if maybe I could get some of his brain cells to hit each other and create a logical thought

[Danny Tyran · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is in this book about everything you can find in a SM story. Fortunately, it was a science fiction story or there are many things I wouldn't have appreciated that much. By the way, the SF elements are realistic enough but for a few things that could have been better, as for the tablet that is not in 3D (or multisensorial) and doesn't have interactive vocal response. And I don't know how you could go from planet to planet without being in stasis or flying through wormhole or dimensional doors.

Anyway, Adara Wolf wrote a very interesting story. I've even started reading book 1.5 of this short series. :)

Thanks a lot to Ginger who suggested me to read this book. <3

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy smokes this is as DARK ... if you can manage sadism, humiliation and heavy kink this one is up your alley. I���m not a big space / sci theme but I actually lost track of that as this really was about Alex serving out his time and Tracht as his sadistic owner. This was a unique relationship that eventually worked for both men. I couldn’t put it down - and appreciated the fact that this story had depth and was well written. Loved it as a dark, twisted and kinky read

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scrumptious and toxic. After all these years, this series is still my favorite that Adara Wolf has written.

Reasons why Tracht & Alex is a ✨power couple✨:
♦︎ Alex has the temperament of an untrained, abandoned puppy 🥺
♦︎ Tracht is an unhinged psychopath who's literally a day away from a murdering spree had it not been for poor Alex keeping his mood in check
♦︎ These two are actually pretty terrible people who became better as individuals and couple as they spend more time with each other. So much fun and satisfaction to read about them.

Avoid if: Non-con/dub-con isn't your thing.

Re-read #2 (didn't log the last time).

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This is ... something. I, for the first time; stupidly decided not to read everyone's reviews. I regret that. Like, really regret it. This is by far the weirdest book I've ever read, but I had to finish it and I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not. I don't even understand what I read.

I can't even be bothered to list trigger warnings. Seriously, every depraved thing you can think of is in this one. I need to go read a nice romantic comedy to bleach it from my brain.

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly the type of book I was looking for.

Also, Trio was right...this was deliciously dark. I'll add a bit depraved as well. If you want romance, this is not the book you are looking for. It's TPE to the extreme, not MMRomance typical BDSM, either.

If you want practically all the kinks in one story, this IS the book you want. (See the comments in her review for a pretty exhaustive list.)

I'll definitely read the other two at some point, if only to see how Alex fares. See, I think Parson is right...and I can't imagine how in the hell Alex will function in society after 5 years as Tracht's bondslave. He seems to slip more and more into the role and some part of me worries that Tracht will become disenchanted with that - after all, he ended the contract with the last too-amenable bondslave - and if he does then I can also see Alex amending the contract for more body-mod in order to stay...only to eventually end up just like the unrecognizable bondslave he feared becoming under the Nielsens.

Part of that horror is appealing though, so I don't want any spoilers. (Of course, it could turn more fluffy and...well, that would be disappointing and a missed opportunity for exploring limits.)

[Courtney Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the rare cases where I went back and changed my four-star rating to five, just because the book stayed with me and caused various impassioned discussions with other friends who've read it.

This book is one that would normally be outside of my comfort zone. I don't DO humiliation - or thought I didn't - but I'd just come off reading His Boy Next Door that has light humiliation kink and this was recommended, and I thought yeah, okay, I'll give this a try. What a wild ride it was!! I won't say that it has EVERY kink, but the tag list on the taboo book spreadsheet I maintain was lengthy and included sounding, figging, piercing, and lots more.

Don't let the space setting put you off - it could just as easily have been a pirate ship. The focus was on the people and the kink. Tracht was pretty much a sociopath, but I ended up really loving him. There was some awesome justice dealt out, and he and Alex actually ended up being kinda perfect together (mostly because Alex was willing to become who Tracht wanted him to be, the ethics of which I'm not worrying about).

Really looking forward to the second book. This is definitely an author to keep your eye on.

[bikemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly bonkers sci-fi lite dark romance (?) with a solar system’s worth of TWs. I was once again plodding along, mildly disturbed, and then suddenly utterly rooting for Alex and Tracht. Did I get brainwashed alongside Alex? They aren’t likable. They aren’t good. They are both pretty messed up morally. But I still grasp onto every scrap of affection Tracht doles out for Alex and swoon over the minuscule moments of mutual belonging. Really pinged all of my erotic mind break enjoyment factors but I especially enjoyed the light tone this managed to have… the humor and sadistically creative scenarios made for a very fun read.

[Ellie Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

edit 11/15/2022: still thinking about this masterpiece of a series 6 months later, don't mind me just updating my rating to 5 stars

Don't get me wrong, this is dark. But Adara Wolf has this way of writing dark stories in a way that's intriguing, and not emotionally draining, and even... kind of... fun? She's really a top-tier author for dark erotica, and it's pretty impressive how she makes a book that has so much sexual torture into something so captivating. Most of the kinks featured in this (and there's a lot) are not my thing at all, but I don't think the sex scenes are meant to be titillating. This isn't even supposed to be a romance, though I did find some parts strangely romantic in a fucked-up way (your mileage may vary on this). Both characters are objectively horrible and morally repulsive: Alex is pretty much a violent idiot and Tracht is a sadist.

But all of that is by design and what makes the story appealing is the psychological development of Alex and how Tracht is slowly molding him into the perfect bondservant in a way that you, as the reader, should hate, but kind of end up rooting for. In a messed-up way, by the end of the book, the author makes you feel like Alex is becoming more assertive and confident, even though his agency got stripped away right at the beginning of the story. Does it matter though, if Alex is better off than he was as a free man, poor in this dystopian society, getting manipulated anyway by his brother?

It's hard to rate this, and even harder to know who I would recommend this to, but I do feel like it's a book that's going to stay in my mind for a while.

Please, please, please read the CW on the author's website first if you're considering reading this.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book and my first time reading this author. Alex Stone let his twin brother Nick convince him to become a bondservant to pay off a debt that he owed. Alex's contract is bought by Captain Tracht a respected and well-connected ship Captain that wants to use and abuse him as well as be his assistant. This book took me awhile to get into it because in the beginning it was slow. Tracht got off on humiliating Alex by making him wear short shorts and making him cry and what he did to him to make him stop cussing was just too much even for me and I read all kinds of things. Alex had a hard time trusting people and when he makes a friend he doesn't trust him and for good reason. Alex was also not very smart I mean his mother did put him and his brother out at 14 his brother used him as muscle and he went along with whatever he did and said and when his brother comes back into his life its to use him again. This was my first time reading this author this book had some really hot sex scenes in it and some hardcore BDSM. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Loose sloppy noncon. Unsophisticated sadist. Low IQ slave. Dull sex.

[Jenny (Nyxie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea what this even was. Why I enjoyed reading it so much. I have a feeling it’s going to stick with me and I’m going to still be mulling over it a month from now.

I liked:
- sci fi setting
- Alex, as dumb and brutish as he was portrayed. I liked watching him slowly figure things out, and choose for himself when he liked something.

I didn’t like:
- Ingestion of bodily fluids

I’m still extremely conflicted about:
- literally everything else

So yay, this was a book that I read? I would probably not recommend this to many people. That said, I was highly entertained for the whole book and am glad I read it.

Adara has content warnings on her website which i would absolutely read first if you’re considering it.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. What a wild mix of things and characters happening!

Alex is a total dumbass (affectionate), and I think that's what makes it work. He is completely incapable of introspection and has the attention span of a goldfish so he's never angsting about his treatment, or having Deep Feelings about everything. This makes it a lot easier to read through his treatment at the hands of Tracht, and also makes it a hilarious read.

Tracht is also an entertaining jerk. Well done and characterized, even through Alex's rather limited POV. He sure keeps things interesting.

Unexpected twists and turns for the plot kept my attention, as did the romantic moments. It's a lot of sex but it's not really erotica...I guess it is. Idk. I went in without reading the content warnings and that made it even more fun. I'd probably suggest reading them though, if you have lines somewhere.

Fun read!! Highly recommend if you're into this kind of thing, otherwise maybe don't.



Read more reviews on my blog: 
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/

[Steph ☀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

😳

***4.75 stars***

Warnings: Where to start? Noncon, water-play, humiliation, non permanent body mod (keep in mind this is sci-fi) and brief incest to name a few.

Okay, even though being a bondservant is legal here, I don’t think Alex really understood what he was getting into. He just wanted to take care of him and his twin brother’s debt in the quickest way possible. Given his education and the mental abuse he went through, well I can understand or think through his contact more.

If you’re looking for BDSM, this is not it. The contract that Tracht holds with Alex is nothing near a consensual sex contract with limits. Nope this contract just states that he has control over Alex’s body. Oh, and Tracht is a Sadist, so think about that before you click. 🤔

I have to say I really enjoyed this book and all its 😬 and 😳. This story sucked me in and kept me going to the very end and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! What this says about me 🤷🏼‍♀️, but at least I know that there are others out there that enjoyed this too 🤣.

[M'rella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warnings: ATM; urophagia; short episode of twincest (same sex, of course).

First two items from the warnings is very much not my thing at all.

Shaming and humiliating a guy by putting him in women's clothes is also not my thing.
Nothing wrong with women's clothing as far as I am concerned, no matter how skimpy. Anyone heard of humiliating a woman by putting her in men's attire? I certainly didn't ....unless it's to "empower" her, not the other way around. Maybe I am missing some point here, but that's my opinion on things, hence 3.75 stars instead of 5.

[Myriam · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very sad DNF, I had such high hopes

The first progress update I wrote on this was titled "Smart is sexy" and I still agree with myself that Alex is anything BUT smart.

I really, really wanted to get into and like this more than I did because this is one of the rare occasions when an author accidentally hits my sweet spot for these kinds of dynamics. It was just enough but not too much and made me squirm and sort of read through my fingers in just the right way.

Some slight spoilers: The bondservant escape plan was incredibly dumb, Alex has obviously been exploited by his brother for his entire life, he is a bi man who has had sex with men and still seems to have no knowledge of how the prostaste functions or that milking it is a 'thing'. I'm not disparaging his intelligence but his obvious lack of intellectual curiosity.

When you're spending significant amounts of time with a character being humiliated and tortured in all kinds of kinky ways you need to be able to empathize. When all you're thinking about are the blantantly dumb decisions the character made to get himself into this mess it's less empathy and more pity.

The problem only gets compounded by the fact that the Captain obviously punches several intellectual weight classes above Alex - there is power imbalance and then there's a cat batting a poor mouse around. And I prefer my diabolical genius sadist doms being five steps ahead of someone who...actually knows how to walk.

The author also really did herself zero favors by pointing this fallacy out in the text when they have the Captain try to turn Alex' intellectual shortcomings into a mind-game. Having a character think about how not dumb he is after having just done several seriously dumb things is...not a good look.

The scenario of an unwilling and resistant subject being slowly and expertly broken down through conditioning can be a delicious read. And the victim being unaware of how conditioning works and being confused by their own reactions can be part of the fun. This was unfortunately not fun at all.

[Puss'N'Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed by PussnBooks.net

Puss'n'Books, reviewing the darkest, most erotic and taboo books we can find. Click HERE to find more dark and naughty reviews

If you know me, you’ll know that I really don’t like giving a bad review. I feel bad about it because these writers put their heart and soul into their work just for someone like me to come up and say “That was naff!”.
Luckily though, I am a tiny unimportant fish in an ocean of readers and mine is certainly not the final say on a book, lol.
Also, my Scottish upbringing won’t let me tell a lie when writing a review. I am honest to a fault.

So...here we go.

This book had me so excited to read it. It had all my favourites in it like Non-con, Dub-con, BDSM, Dark, Erotic, M/M, Sci-fi.
But it fell a little flat for me.

It’s not very often that I come across a DNF but lately, I have been struggling to find books that suck me in from the beginning and I find myself losing interest pretty quickly.
And so my rule is, if, by 25% into the book, I’m not feeling it, then I quit.
Sadly this was one of them.

I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Actually just Tracht. I couldn’t find him interesting or yummy or sexy.
I love dark and mean alpha-holes but he just didn’t do it for me.
This book is heavy on humiliation and abuse combined with BDSM and M/M.
Sounds interesting and certainly the kind I enjoy (love myself a bit of M/M action) but I just couldn’y get excited over it!

I need an asshole who makes me want to punch him in the throat but also kind of wanna fuck him while I’m doing it, ye ken?

Now, I’m going to be honest. After about 25% in I swiped through the book, like I was spinning the wheel of fortune, and landed about the 70% mark.
I read a few sex scenes that were very dark and dirty (my favourites) but I had to ask myself, do I want to keep reading the boring in order to get to this..? And the answer was no.

Sorry guys, this was a DNF at 25% even though it looked interesting later on.

2 Stars

[AGandyGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was just delicious fuckery. The subtlety of the true feelings so expertly developed. Just wow!!! Can’t wait to read this one again and would love to have more of Alex and Tracht in the future!