Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Wren's Song #1

Branded Captive

Rate this book
Wren can’t sing like a bird. She can’t speak at all.

The Alpha kingpin and his pack didn’t buy the Omega to hear it talk.

Branded Captive: Wren's Song Book 1 is a dark,sinister Omegaverse Reverse Harem tale for those with twisted tastes and a love for unabashed bad boys. Complete power exchange dominates these pages, as do THREE smoking-hot Alpha antiheroes.

105 pages, ebook

First published July 16, 2018

2480 people are currently reading
3555 people want to read

About the author

Addison Cain

56 books4,531 followers
USA TODAY bestselling author and Amazon Top 25 bestselling author, Addison Cain is best known for her dark romances, smoldering paranormal suspense, and twisted alien worlds. Her antiheroes are not always redeemable, her lead females stand fierce, and nothing is ever as it seems.

Deep and sometimes heart wrenching, her books are not for the faint of heart. But they are just right for those who enjoy unapologetic bad boys, aggressive alphas, and a hint of violence in a kiss.

Visit her website: addisoncain.com

Sign up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/AddisonCainNewsletter

Amazon: amzn.to/2ryj4LH
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/AddisonCain
Bookbub Deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/addison-cain
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/AddisonlCain/
Addison Cain’s Dark Longings Lounge Fan Group: www.facebook.com/groups/DarkLongingsL...

Don’t miss these exciting titles by Addison Cain!

The Golden Line

The Alpha’s Claim Series:
Born to be Bound
Born To Be Broken
Reborn
Stolen
Corrupted (coming soon)

Wren’s Song Series:
Branded
Silenced

The Irdesi Empire Series:
Sigil
Sovereign
Que (coming soon)

Cradle of Darkness
Catacombs
Cathedral
The Relic

A Trick of the Light Duet:
A Taste of Shine
A Shot in the Dark

Historical Romance:
Dark Side of the Sun

Horror:
The White Queen
Immaculate

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,987 (34%)
4 stars
1,540 (27%)
3 stars
1,193 (20%)
2 stars
519 (9%)
1 star
460 (8%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews
Profile Image for Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️.
2,088 reviews36.1k followers
October 28, 2019
This wasn’t my favorite by this author, but that might be my own fault...I haven’t really read any “reverse harem” stuff before and “sharing” tropes aren’t typically my favorite, which the blurb explicitly states this is. I’m not complaining by any means. I knew what I was getting into so I can’t blame the author, not that I ever do.

I might still try book two though, since I really enjoyed the other books/series I have read by this author.
Profile Image for AvidReader.
1,473 reviews331 followers
August 5, 2018
Disgusting.
I repeatedly tried to stop several times but I wanted to rate this so I continued.
While reading this I wanted to vomit several times.
It wasn’t erotic at all. Atleast for me. I don’t think even an Alexa Riley book can save my mood now.
Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,517 reviews1,592 followers
December 3, 2018
37203638_2101426310183729_3620440654938636288_n

Oh My Oh My!! Mouth Drop to the floor folks

omg-animated-gif

This book is FILTHY!!!

giphy.gif

Branded Captive itself is one of the most debauched and filthy and did I mention depraved folks: (as my brains gone bye byes for the moment after wallowing around in that murky cesspit of sinful degeneracy.)
That I have experienced in a very long time and I devoured every decadent perverted instance portrayed here like with tongue hanging out: god I'm such a deviant!!!

giphy (1).gif

So now with my twisted tendencies exposed for all to see, Taking a bow here folks.
I'm going to put out there that this is not a story for everybody: this is a tale that will push your limits to the maximum and if you are not a fan of dub-consent type erotica please give this a miss. This is the darkest yet of this author's omegaverse fiction and this is so not the story to toe-dip the waters with I can assure you.
So this is a reverse harem type omegaverse story set against a dismal dystopian backdrop.
You can almost taste the desperation and despair in the air.
Our three alphas Caspian, Kieran and Toby are so completely bad and unredeemable they are so not good guys and are used to taking what they want and in this instant, they want Wren one defective mute albino Omega and they are prepared to use whatever means to get her to comply and in this instance with her adoptive foundlings health at risk Wren knows her options are severely limited here.
What sets this particular author apart is her ability to blend such a fully dimensional storyline within the erotic narrative she doesn't scrimp on the background and world building and I always know I'm going to get something well written if hard hitting in places.
Branded Captive is the first part of a trilogy parts one and two are already out and this instalment is told from the top Alpha Caspian and Wren's POV.
This is dark omegaverse folks, please take heed and know your limits this is not a romance.
This one gets a very twisted thumbs up from me.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of Branded Captive (Wren's Song, #1).
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

40800835

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
Profile Image for Melanie A..
1,242 reviews559 followers
September 29, 2018
Re-read: September 2018

4.5 STARS!
"Do you wish to nest first?"
HO-LEE CRAP! That was awesome . . . WEIRD. TWISTED. DEPRAVED.

I freaking love Addison Cain! She has this incredible talent for writing angsty dark erotica that I just can't get enough of.

Set in the same Alpha/Omega/Beta world as this author's FABULOUS Alpha series, Branded Captive tells Wren's story, a mute 'defective' omega who becomes involved with an outlaw 'first' alpha and his two seconds.

If you're familiar at all with this world, you'll know what to expect: purring, nesting, growling, knotting, pair-bonding and of course, dubious consent because omegas are always subject to the will of an alpha - it's completely fucked-up.

But that's not what makes these stories so great. It's the complex characters that burrow themselves under your skin . . .

Our heroine, Wren, is first and foremost a survivor, but she's caught up in an impossible situation that exposes her vulnerabilities and insecurities to alphas who are unaccustomed to kindness or mercy.
Wren didn't think it was possible to find there was something lower than whore . . . but there was.
Her plight tugged hard at my heartstrings!

Then there's Caspian, who rules the underworld with an iron fist. In every aspect of his life, he's manipulative, hard, and cruel, yet with Wren, there's that whisper of softness that every anti-hero needs to eventually turn a dark read into a romance.

I loved the way his instincts and his expectations went to war with each other.

On the other hand, his second, Kieran, was utterly detestable - and I'm hoping he'll get his comeuppance in future installments. Toby, the third, was better, but not by much - he had a bunch of WTF moments in this story. :D

Such good stuff! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!

Which brings me to the rating: I was SOOO tempted to give this one a full 5 stars, even if I know, logically, that the beginning wasn't as fleshed-out as a true novel should be. ~Grrrrrr~ (that would be the sound of my conscience, which insists on 4 stars, fighting with my heart, which wants 5. lol!)
Profile Image for PointedlyBlunt.
389 reviews31 followers
August 27, 2018
Wren is a mute Albino Omega that gets discarded by her father to a desolate area called the Warrens and is left to survive on her own when she fails to please the Alpha he wanted to sell her to. She becomes a caretaker of some boys that are also on their own, but one day two of them fail to return home. She finds them “working” for Caspian, the ruler of the Warrens and a ruthless killer. Caspian wants Wren and offers her to trade herself in place for the boys, but she must do everything that he says, including pleasing his two employees and co-Alphas, Kieran and Toby.

The first thing that comes to mind is that there’s a lot of fluid in this book. Considering how often one of the alphas is on top of her, behind her, above her leaking or shooting or splattering or whatever, and the copious amounts of slick she pours out like a faucet, it’s a wonder she didn’t drown.



My second thought is that despite how much I’ve liked Cain’s writing in the past, I’m beginning to think I need a break from her. Many of her books are full of triggers, but it’s often balanced by the emotions she’s able to produce in her characters. It wasn’t enough this time, though.

Caspian is jealous whenever Wren gives attention to anyone but him and it starts off promising, but that lasts all of a few days. Then he’s tossing her to his cohorts because he can’t be bothered to comfort her after he’s done playing with her. Instead, he returns to his lair where he watches Kieran and Toby do their things via surveillance video while getting some under the table action by the numerous “whores” he keeps in his pen.



Wren is clearly appeasing Caspian in order to keep her boys, Mikael and Alec safe, but of course her body betrays her any time an alpha starts his seduction. Every scene was full of dub-con because Wren logically didn’t want what was happening to her. But after spending some time with Caspian she starts to become attached, but then he breaks her spirit by making her feel less than a whore when he tells her he’s still going to use his other females, and sometimes in front of her and that she’ll be grateful because it’ll calm him down enough so he won’t injure her during sex.



It ends with that declaration and Caspian informing Wren that she’ll be returning with him to his lair, which leads me to anticipate that the next book will be full of Wren’s heartbreak having to watch Caspian with others and probably some OW drama from Rosie, the oft mentioned but never seen whore that was Caspian’s preferred entertainment before he found Wren.



At least I don't.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Louise H's Book Thoughts.
2,036 reviews317 followers
Read
August 7, 2023
ETA - I have removed my rating as this is yet another unfinished series by this author. I have enjoyed her work, but I can no longer support someone who repeatedly starts a series just to leave it unfinished.


Sick. Twisted. Filthy. Depraved. Dark. Cruel. OMG I loved every minute of this book and can't wait for the next part of the story. This is Addison Cain at her very, very best. I don't think she can write a bad book, though she sure can write a bad man as the antihero.

Talking of bad men this has not one, not two but three hot alpha's all lusting after Wren, all determined to possess her. All wanting her and taking her in their own way. This book isn't hot, as hot isn't powerful enough a word to describe the heat of this book. It's the omegaverse equivalent of a Carolina Reaper chilli or ten.

Wren is such a survivor and omega to the very core of her being. She's even better than Clare, definitely tougher and sneakier. Even though Caspian doesn't appreciate Wren in the way he should I'm already in love with him. I'm fairly certain Wren is going to bring him to his knees at some point, she has more power than she realises. Toby seems so sweet but then there was all that talk of what he'd done to other females, so maybe he is a wolf in sheep's clothing, Kieran is definitely the Jules of the bunch, though with fewer morals.

Whilst we aren't left on a cliffhanger as such, this is only the first part of the story, and I really can't wait to read the rest.
Profile Image for mich.
661 reviews222 followers
November 19, 2018
Omg this book NASTY.

I'm almost positive that NONE of my GR friends here would like this. At all.

I didn't think it was horrible though. The writing is decent and I'm actually a little intrigued by the whole thing. But seriously - I not recommending.
5 reviews4 followers
July 22, 2018
Selfish Alpha

Normally I enjoy darker theme romances and I have really enjoyed Alpha/Omega books I've read in the past but this Alpha had absolutely no regard for her at all. I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll keep this vague, in his point of view he viewed her as an object in a way that wasn't sexy. I didn't like the lack of fidelity on his end, he uses other females through out the book and tells her he will do so in front of her and she will be "grateful". Romance is the wrong genre for this type of novel. There was absolutely no feeling involved for either party. Erotic horror might be more applicable. Even after a Dr. Tells the men she's in rough shape and dangerously dehydrated and needs rest and water, that they are actually harming her they don't stop, They barely give it another thought. My heart ached for her and honestly this book left me feeling sad.
Profile Image for Maria (Ri).
5,137 reviews15 followers
July 14, 2018
Sweet Holy Titfire.

There is just something about this OmegaVerse that draws me in. If this was real life I would be throat kicking a man who acted this way. However, it isn't real life and for that, I am thankful because if it was I would miss out on some of the most titillating and tantalizing stories that leave me fanning myself and whispering to myself, "Let your freak flag fly!" I embrace this new addiction of mine. Anything, and I mean ANYTHING this author writes leaves me teetering on the abyss of "I shouldn't like this BUT I do" and it is for that reason that I will continue to drink that little potion and fall down the rabbit hole. I know she will push my boundaries and that is okay. She is a master wordsmith and creates a world and characters that are more than just make-believe even though in fact THEY are make-believe. Yet, while in the story the world becomes real. Instead of watching it on a box in my living room where images are projected I get it in the form of a book and my mind is projecting the images. I see, feel, hear, and even taste everything as if I am the character.

This book was no different. I felt for Wren. Just like any Addison Cain heroine before her, she is not a weakling. She fights even if she knows in the long run that she cannot possibly win. The males in this story are just as distinct. Caspian, Kieran, and Toby all have specific roles. This is not an easy world. Somehow they manage to make it work. I sense in the future that they are going to be knocked for a loop by what a little Wren can do to upturn their lives. They might have all the power but it posits for how long?

This was a short story. It was the first part of what will be a trilogy. I didn't want it to end, yet, that is nothing new. I never want her words to end. I look forward to whatever comes next in her crazy mind. I am not meaning that in a disparaging way. In fact, it is a compliment because her kind of crazy fits nicely in my world and shows me that I am not alone.
Profile Image for Jacqueline's Reads.
3,100 reviews1,527 followers
July 23, 2018
3… Well that was different Stars

The book is hot and kind of dark. Not what I expected, but I didn’t hate it. I like short smutty books, but this one might be a touch too short? It was hard to follow what was going on, I had to read other reviews when I finished to answer some of my questions.

The book starts out with a bang and basically sets the tone of the book. I you can’t stomach that part, you really shouldn’t read any more. I on the other hand, kind of enjoyed all the abuse.

At the end of the day Wren is abused throughout the book.

I thought these reverse Harem kind of books were about worshipping one girl, but it’s about three dudes that really like to bang and not give a crap about the girl’s feelings.

I’ll say it again, YOU WILL FEEL BAD FOR HER. But there’s lots of steam, so there you go.
What I will say is that I didn’t expect this to be a cliff-hanger. Who does that in smutty novellas? Had I known that I would have waited for the series to finish.

I think that was a little misleading from the author … but that’s my two cents.
Profile Image for MsMoxy.
467 reviews15 followers
August 1, 2018
5 Fantastically Filthy Stars for Branded Captive!

This book knocked me off my feet and slapped me in the face! Who knew “filth and garbage” could be this HAWT?! 😏

Addison Cain knows how to set the stage and create the most magnificent dark, twisted, and perverse stories that have me crying for more! I can’t figure out what it is that has me hooked to her writing but it is a spell that I don’t want to come out of! The author has such control over her writing, her characters endure the most tortuous of existences and yet here I am clapping on the sidelines cheering “I want more! I want more!”

Pretty please Ms. Cain, can I have book two now?

And just to concretely prove that this author is super awesome talented, she wrote this in two weeks on a dare! Deadlines do you justice Ms. Cain! You come up with magnificent stories!

So what’s this story all about? It’s an Omegaverse tale, a quickly growing sub-genre where the Alphas are domineering pricks and the Omegas are crafty little things that try to reject their submission to Alphas. Our Omega’s name in Branded Captive is Wren and she is beautiful! A beautiful Albino Mute whom is neglected and exploited by the people around her. Although she is branded as a “Defective”, Wren has a heart of gold and is a crafty little thing surviving the muck and garbage of the Warrens, a sinking level of their city where the lowest of the low and outcast go to struggle for survival before the water, sewage and garbage takes them under. Poor Wren has been cast off by a glutinous Alpha who rejects her and casts her to the Warrens as a defect; tattooed on her face.
The Warrens is in the control of a unscrupulous Alpha named Caspian who exploits the weak and helpless. Little does he know the treasure of an Omega hiding is his jurisdiction.
When Wren is discovered by Caspian, both their lives will change! But in a world where Omegas are exploited and devalued by Alpha slime bags we are unsure how Wren will survive Caspian's hold on her. And the bigger question that remains, will Caspian and his men survive Wren?
Profile Image for Meredith is a hot mess.
808 reviews619 followers
June 9, 2019
Currently free on Amazon.

3.5 stars.

Ok, here's the deal, I don't find this book sexy or even very erotic. I get how others may find it so, though. There is a story here, and since the Omegaverse genre is new to me, I find it a strange story...but nevertheless a compelling one. I've noticed a lot of the negative reviews are because the MMCs are despicable - I don't mind reading about irredeemable MMCs; the asshole behavior doesn't bother me. Sometimes imo it's better to keep the assholes assholes and not romanticize the behavior. I get annoyed when authors create an asshole and then go out of their way to redeem and romanticize them.

I like Wren. I admire her love for her boys and her determination to survive. The dystopian world is fascinating, and it reminds me slightly of Mad Max (with water as a hot commodity, and one of the MMCs almost reminds me of Immortan Joe). The Warrens is the Wasteland. Addison Cain is fantastic at world-building.

People weren't joking when they called this book filthy dirty - while I found the nesting and purring cute (even endearing) all the talk about was less so. It's part of their biology so I understand why it's there.

Side note: There's a lawsuit going on between two authors in the Omegaverse genre, and I find it hilarious that judges are going to be reading knotting porn and may potentially make decisions about the Omegaverse genre. 😂😂

So far my favorite sci-fi/dystopian series by Addison Cain is the Irdesi Empire. I'm interested in finding out if her other books in her Omegaverse series come close to being as good. I'm definitely interested in reading Stolen & Born to be Bound.
Profile Image for Snow.
2,323 reviews728 followers
October 10, 2018

I fuckin liked it.

It was intriguing and twistedly fascinating...

It was weirdely kinky and yet I was very much immeresed (threesomes, duh?!)

an interesting main female character and the storyline in this surprising mash-up of a fantasy genre

..the rest you just follow up as you go...

So, for me, fuckin A



Profile Image for JenMcJ.
2,608 reviews325 followers
July 20, 2018
So, this was interesting. Wren is a mute, albino omega in a future that includes some pretty devastating environmental issues, including a sinking city.

When she ends up in the warrens, which is basically a homeless camp of sorts, she somehow ends up adopting the care of two boys (how this happens is not explained. There is a lot in this - way too short - book that is not explained). When the boys go missing, she just waltzes into the lions den to retrieve them and ends up on the radar of the underground mafia head and his two alpha associates.

That is where all the sex comes in. Of course, nothing is free and she needs expensive medical attention for her youngest charge, so with nothing of value to trade, sex it is. This arrangement includes pretty much anyone the big Alpha includes which starts with the Alpha and his first and second alphas. BTW, the older kid has just disappeared after she brings him home.

Everything is made a bit more difficult because she is mute and they are not especially intuitive. Calling this a reverse harem is really just new code for gang bang, kind of. These guys are overly aggressive sexual guys with no impulse control (or need for such control, there is nobody to insist they show any) and don't seem to have any issues with having sex with each other. Either as part of the playtime with Wren or as dominance positioning/punishment - although that is just mentioned, sadly. One more place this book was really too short and skipped too much.

Be warned. Here is the thing. This borders dubcon which I don't have any issue with (in my fictional erotica), however, I did struggle with the writing to determine just how much abuse vs unwilling pleasure Wren was actually enduring. She was portrayed all over the place with her reactions and I just never got a hold of where the line was for her. And... there is a lot of fluids in this book, I mean so much sexual bodily fluid...hers and theirs and combined some of the descriptions just kinda grossed me out at times. I didn't find her laying in soaked bedding for extended periods as erotic. It just doesn't do it for me.

And the worst thing to beware of is this is a VERY SUDDEN CLIFFHANGER. It ends at like 85% because it contains an excerpt from earlier books. Honestly, I would read these books but I won't ever read them again until they are all published and the series are finalized.
Profile Image for Steelwhisper.
Author 5 books441 followers
September 7, 2020


My second attempt at reading an Addison Cain novel...



Oookay, this was just as bad as the first one I tried. Horrid, stream of consciousness-style prose without descriptions, settings, any sort of world-building, nothing. Just a haphazard recounting of action sequences with "explained" behaviour. Nothing is shown, no emotions anywhere, no lust, pain, fear, nothing. About as interesting as listening to the weather report of two weeks ago. Well, not even that, as that would be more structured.



Yep. THAT is how erotic this BS was. I have to say, that I'm kinky enough to love knotting. But fuck me sideways, it would really be helpful, Ms Cain, if you knew a few facts about knotting in animals in the first place. Seriously.

I read until 24% and skimmed to roughly 70% when I gave up after being bored to distraction. The horrible meh prose never changed, by now I think I have to acknowledge that this is Ms Cain's writing style. What I do not understand are all these readers swooning over how "filthy" and "dark" this is. It didn't even tickle me, and I don't think I'm the harshest of all sadists out there.

I think I'll give it a while before I try strike #3. If ever.
Profile Image for  Rosebud.
1,052 reviews194 followers
July 19, 2018
Branded as defective by her own father and thrown into the Warrens, a subterranean city that exists outside the boundaries of mainstream society, Wren has been able to survive the harsh living conditions niching a life of sorts. Scrapping and salvaging what she can for the little money she gets to support herself and the two waifs she's claimed as her own as to do otherwise is to die, buried by the rising mud levels that are slowly swallowing up the Warrens.

Caspian, Alpha Syndicate kingpin feared by one and all, is not amused when a muddy rug rat invades his lair looking to forcefully remove two boys from his territory. Bringing the soon to be dead culprit before him, Caspian is amazed to find out the thief is a rare Omega female.

Never one to turn down an opportunity, Caspian parlays a deal with Wren to save the life of the two boys she claims are hers.

* * * *

I do want to include a cautionary warning for potential readers: This story is dark and does include dub/non-con scenes that might stretch comfort zones. For any readers who have read previous Addison Cain stories, nothing new in this caution so it's more for any potential new fan base readers

A brand new shorter length alternate universe read that's as raunchy and perverted as many of the author's other works. Yup. Not many authors bring it to the degree Ms. Cain does.
ps.... on the remote chance the author reads this review ... I'm that crazy fan who approached you at RT convention very gingerly citing fear of getting too close as you scare me with your stories. And. Thanks for that great selfie pic of you and me hugging - had it enlarged and now framed. :)

The basics of this story are consistent with the Alpha/Beta/Omega power structure but, to be clear, this is not based on paranormal shapeshifting beings. The characters do have beastial personalities and mannerisms consistent with the A/B/O label, but no shapeshifting of any sort.

The adult content intimacy scenes are raw, gritty, graphic, and do include bisexual scenes. Intense, but consistent with what I'd expect from the type of Dystopian world the author has featured in this story. Sunshine and roses with a side of romantic sensual intimacy would just be wrong. So potential readers: get ready for another installment of alpha dominated knot bearing males who take what they want and do what they want because that's what they earned being at the top of the food chain.

My one issue is that this is labeled as an Omegaverse dark reverse harem story.
Urban Dictionary: Reverse Harem :
~ A collection of Males, lead by a Woman
~ Made wildly popular in Japanese Animation. Where there is more then three men, that gather around one central, female character


I get the recent fad of reverse harem, and I actually enjoy this new take on the reversal role that mimics the menage concept in just another variation of it, but I can't get on that bandwagon for this book. It's just not reverse harem as I understand it. I realize I could be wrong, and I could be missing the mark as this might be more apparent in future installments, but THIS installment lacks being able to be labeled as 'reverse harem' that's all I'm sayin.

I inhaled this book and loved the characters and world building. Potential readers need to realize that this is a dark themed Dystopian raunchy story of the bisexual persuasion and only those who appreciate this sort of thing should proceed.

Can't wait for the second installment as, while this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it does end with a hook and open ended story line.
Profile Image for Mia Knight.
Author 12 books2,750 followers
July 18, 2018
My first reverse harem story! Addison was kind enough to let me read it before it released. What a intro into the genre! My mouth was hanging open as the story progressed and I was squirming on my couch as the heat turned up. This is an excellent addition to her world and a way to whet our appetite for more! I will definitely be reading the next installment!
Profile Image for Just Josie.
1,136 reviews194 followers
January 17, 2020
3.5 stars

This power-exchange is really something else. It’s strangely addictive, and I simply cannot understand why I find it so fascinating.
This sub-genre really is compelling. Dark, rough, weird even, and yet I want to read more🤷🏻‍♀️
I also want to punch these alphas in their smug faces😂

Odd, yet fascinating is how I am finding my new adventure into the Omegaverse world. Won’t be my last- that’s for sure.

Wren, an Omega, is taking care of two sweet boys after being thrown out of her home for not being able to please the alpha that purchased her from her dick-ass father, and find herself face to face with the Alpha, who runs the town.
In order to save the boys she has taken care of, and loves, she bargained her life away for them to have a chance.

It such a cruel, twisted, strangely affectionate, and hot story.
Then add the RH vibes and I am hooked😂

Read: 17/01/2020
1st rating: 3.5 stars
Genre/sub-genres: Omegaverse/dark/RH
Cover: 4 stars
POV’s: Multiple- 2nd person (Wren, Caspian,Toby, Kieran)
Will I recommend: Yes
Profile Image for daemyra, the realm's delight.
1,290 reviews37 followers
August 20, 2021
UPDATE: On Amazon Kindle, this is now sold as Branded and it combines Branded Captive and Silent Captive together as it listed in the Wren's Song series on GoodReads. I have the Kindle and eBook and cross-referenced to find the discrepancy, as I was confused about the page count and also not being able to find these titles on Amazon.

~

Branded Captive takes hot with no plot to new heights. Most romances are kind of like that, but this is pornography without sensuality. This is just one long M/M/M/F sequence. Nothing wrong with that, because Cain can write these scenes, which is why the 4 stars.

I felt like I understood Wren's whole deal, but I wish the male characters were just a bit more developed. They didn't really shine or capture the reader in those ways that a certain look, or character tic can reveal about them. Caspian is the First Alpha in charge who sees Wren as his property, and because of this perceived ownership, he can be protective towards Wren. Toby is the "nice" Third Alpha who's a little psychotic. Kieran is the pretty Second Alpha who is physically cruel with emotional scars. However, they're all bad heroes. They are simply villains.

There is a suggestion that the person who took Wren in when she was cast off into the Warrens is someone who she could be with, so I feel like I might try the second book but I need a palette cleanse after this. To be honest, omegaverse is like the only place where I can find power dynamics so I'll probably continue on, even if it means I have to read about nesting.

Also, GoodReads states this book is 100 pages long but for some reason my Kindle says 350 pages. My Kindle copy also has a generic male chest on the cover rather than this graphic illustration.
138 reviews3 followers
February 21, 2020
I'm rightfully upset. I read the original books for wrens song before they were remade. But the series never finished before the author began remaking it. My biggest issue is that I have Kindle Unlimited and read the original books on there.... but this new rewrite is not on KU and I have to pay $7 for just the first book. Considering the original series was going to be 5 books total, that's $35. If it were $2.99 I would be willing to pay for all 5 books. I'm stuck on a cliffhanger and I have to wait months and pay for books I've already read in order to find out what happens.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews131 followers
Want to read
October 1, 2018
💝FREE on Amazon today (10/1/18)!💝

Blurb:
Wren can’t sing like a bird. She can’t speak at all.

The Alpha kingpin and his pack didn’t buy the Omega to hear it talk.


Branded Captive: Wren's Song Book 1 is a dark,sinister Omegaverse Reverse Harem tale for those with twisted tastes and a lovefor unabashed bad boys. Complete power exchange dominates these pages, as do THREE smoking-hot Alpha antiheroes.
Profile Image for Christine.
1,889 reviews
August 8, 2018
Hmmmm.....sort of Mad Max goes to Water World...

Except without the heart in either of those movies.

A disgraced Omega, Wren has hidden herself away successfully, until she’s forced to reveal herself to Caspian, the First Alpha, fearsome leader of the underworld of the Warrens. Wren’s completely different from anything in Caspian’s experience, and he quickly decides to take her for himself and his two pack-mates.

And....that’s pretty much the story.

I’m all about dystopian, and dub/non-con doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is not nearly enough world-building, and not nearly enough character development.

There is loads of extremely graphic rough sex (with lots of ‘slick’) as Caspian and his bros show Wren who’s boss, but these encounters are strangely clinical and cold. We never really know how Wren feels about what she’s going through. Then there’s the purring, growling, and nest-building...but we are never told what these behaviors mean.

I’m assuming Wren is supposed to be a strong heroine who survives horrific treatment with her sense of self intact; maybe even bringing about some change in Caspian. But mostly all we see is her seemingly passive acceptance of brutality. Maybe she comes on stronger in the next book, but I don’t care enough about her or Caspian to bother reading it.

And that’s the real problem......
Profile Image for Felicia.
598 reviews
June 19, 2019
THIS. WAS. DARK. AS. FUCK. HOLY. SHIT.

Wren is a mute omega. Omega's to an Alpha are there to breed. That's basically it. She was sold off by her father but when the Alpha he tried selling her to took her virginity and refused to pay her father cast her off to the Warrens. Literally the bottom of the barrel where the mud makes everything sink. Five years later she's got herself a little family. She's taking care of two young boys who were also thrown away. But after they've been away from home for so long she goes to the sewers to look for them.

In the sewers she finds them working for Caspian. The First Alpha of a pack of monsters. She tells Caspian she's taking them home and he gives her a deal that for their service she must now serve him, in all things he wants. And boy does he take. He just takes and takes and takes. The smut in this book is absolutely off the wall. Like literally everything is smut. And it wasn't necessarily bad but there could've been more to the story than Caspian and his Second and Third, Kieran & Toby, using her over and over.

Gonna see what the second book brings me! :D
Profile Image for Alaina.
7,345 reviews203 followers
November 25, 2018
Holy smutcakes!

Okay this book was good. In Branded Captive, you will meet Wren, aka Jax. She is an Omega, and she's branded because she didn't do her omega duty for the alpha that "bought" her. I honestly hated the way this alpha and her dad acted in the beginning of this book. I wish someone's dick would've magically fallen off but it didn't happen.

Then she's a bit older, branded, and poor. The guys in her life are three alphas. I hate the way they treated her, as well as the other girls in their life. It was just disgusting and I couldn't get behind them. I didn't see any shipping or heart eyes. I was just annoyed and frustrated.

These guys really need to learn how to see and treat Wren like a person. She also needs to use her voice to prove that she is a human and not an object or lower than a whore. It hurt my heart when she was thinking that.

I hope in the next book things change for the better.. or she just walks away from it all. I want happiness stat.
Profile Image for Diana.
199 reviews9 followers
October 13, 2018
Look this book is fucked up in sooo many ways. It pushes the boundaries of decency and toes the line of abhorrent.

Oddly...I enjoyed it!

I don’t know what this says of me...that will require some introspection for another day.

For now, bring on book 2.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
486 reviews26 followers
July 20, 2018
What a ride....

Wow. I mean seriously, wow. That was one hell of a read. I bought this book because someone shared the first line in a group I’m in. The first line of this book was interesting enough I bought it without question.
This book is dark. Extremely dark, but wow is it hot! I was caught from the first page and could NOT put it down. Literally read it in 4 hours while also at work.
When is in for so much and while I LOVED this book I do hope her and the guys connect a little better and grow a little closer in book 2.
There are some trigger moments so if you are easily triggered I wouldn’t read it or do so with caution but if you’re into a-hole hot alphas and are okay with a dark and gritty read this is the story for you!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,277 reviews58 followers
November 27, 2018
Wren, also known as Jax, is a mute omega. When she failed to please the alpha that she was sold to, she was branded as "defective" and tossed into the slums. She builds a new life for herself as a scavenger and takes in a couple of orphaned kids. When the two boys she cares for are enlisted in the Alpha "Caspian's" gang, she tries to barter for their freedom. Unfortunately, he is not interested in the tech she has scavenged. As an Omega, there is really only one thing he wants from her - sex. She reluctantly agrees.

I have major mixed feelings about this universe that Addison Cain has created. The omegas are NOT well treated by the alphas. No matter how many orgasms the omega has, you can't cover up that simple fact. Yet, I can't help but hope? that the male characters are going to redeem themselves at some point in the series. I mean being an alpha male means more than just being controlling, right?? There are brief moments when I thought it was going to happen, just to be disappointed when they were assholes again. The smut is off the charts, 5 out of 5 - it is basically all sex all the time.
Profile Image for Theresa.
3,565 reviews
October 7, 2018
October 2018 Update:

The second installment nose dived so bad I discontinued the series. My favorite noncon A/o book is
I, Omega by Kari Gregg .

July 2018 Original review:

MFMM Omegaverse. Dub con. Dystopian world. Omega is a strong MC. Alphas will need to redeem themselves. Series will need to be completed. As it stands, it is more PWP. Looking forward to the next installment. FYI, one of my favorite smut books is
Coffee Guy Broken by Alphas by Sadie Sins
Profile Image for Rockin Robin.
50 reviews1 follower
August 14, 2018
Did anyone else find a story?

There was something happening here with mud and sinking buildings. But really all you get is a lot of weird sex. I don't know if this is based on some beastly society. The characters almost seem as if they are human cats? Building nests, purring, and knots. Sorry this book wasn't worthy of any big words. I just found it to be stupid. No character or world building. No understanding of what the hell the people are. What is the point? Well other than non stop sex. And it was odd. Even if I am not into whatever this was (beastly humans) I might have appreciated the story, if there actually had been one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.