Stian's Sacrifice

Caldeon Brothers #1

by Jacey Davis

It’s been 25 years since the world ended. A disease wiped out 90% of the world’s male population, while nuclear fall out destroyed the planet causing extreme environmental changes. As governments collapsed, a new one took its place in what used to be the United States. The world was never the same.

Stian Caldeon was eight when the Collapse happened. He’s spent the last 25 years living in the Outskirts just trying to survive and avoiding being caught by the government and ending up in a breeding camp. Stian has dedicated every waking moment of the last ten years since his brother’s disappearance in trying to find him. And finally, he has a lead and some hope of finding his brother and making up for the biggest failure of his life.

But things are never easy, and a complication in the form of a beautiful young man has Stian questioning his plans and making him lose focus. Stian has been alone for so long he can’t understand his strong feelings for this man and his overwhelming desire to protect him.

******************

Whiskey escaped from the Brothels with literally nothing. If it were not for the kindness of the gruff, but handsome man, he would have died naked and alone. But it would’ve been worth it just to die a free man. Now Whiskey must navigate a strange new world with dangers he’s never seen before, not to mention his feelings for his surly protector who’s determined to keep him at a distance. But Whiskey knows his feelings are real. Now he just has to convince Stian of that, and that he’s not a weak link holding him back, but instead, he’s exactly what Stian needs to find his brother.

Warning: This is a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place in a violent and totalitarian government and culture. There are references to sexual assault, non-con, sexual slavery, and forced prostitution, but the relationship between the two main characters is completely consensual. This is book one in a series. The book will end with an HEA for the main couple, but the plot continues through each of the books.

Genres: Dystopia, M M Romance, Dark, Romance

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2021

About the author

Jacey is an M/M and Fantasy/Paranormal fiction writer. She's a Jersey girl through and through, and after a brief time in North Carolina, is back in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters, and her black lab mix. When she's not writing, Jacey is catching up on Netflix shows, reading, and most of all, playing with (aka chasing after) her kids.

Reviews

[Anna]

dnf @ 36%

I tried to push through this but none of it made sense.

This is like a Temu version of Lily Mayne's post-apocalyptic world.

There is a virus, they create a vaccine, and the vaccine wipes out 90% of the male population. Lol wtf? Did they test it?

This results in a (mostly female) government that sends men to brothels and breeding camps. 9 out of 10 of the world’s population is female, yet majority of the characters in this book are male.

During the day, the sun burns humans to a crisp, and at night, the temperatures dip to freezing. Apparently, this is due to a nuclear fallout, except that's not how nuclear fallout works.

The disease has somehow turned animals rabid, as in they attack (and maybe eat?) humans.

At the start, Whiskey has gashes on his thigh and neck as well as a broken nose. Stian goes on a spiel about infections, and the injuries are never mentioned again.

6 days into Whiskey and Stian's trek, they encounter a rabid 7 foot tall bear. After stabbing the bear, they exchange hand jobs.

I was really hoping that the bear was dead by now, because the sound that left my throat was anything but quiet.

There's endless info dumping, typos, and unrealistic dialogue.

It also does this annoying thing where it identifies women as 'females' and men as men or boys.

And let’s be real, if the Earth was run by women none of this shit would happen.

[Karina]

3.5/4 stars.

I found this author in an anthology, and liked their short story there enough that I sought out a full length book.

This is a unique story, with enough world building to get you into the feel of the book, without overwhelming you with too much information that ultimately isn't relevant. The characters are likable, the plot is pretty brisk, and the cliffhanger is expected and not too traumatic.

A few reasons for my reduced stars: there is some language around the spice scenes that got on my nerves...endless use of the word "hole", for example. Also, some of the dialogue is just...very simple. I'm fried at the end of my week, so not explaining this well, but sometimes it felt like I was reading two characters in a Young Adult novel conversing, vs two adults in a New Adult book. The spice scenes were fine, if a little repetitive and unimaginative.

I'm not immediately striking out to read the second installment, but I definitely would if I find myself with a shorter TBR sometime in the future. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for some M/M post-apocalyptic storylines.

[Jan]

I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable read. The author did a good job describing the post-apocalyptic world that the story takes place in, where life is harsh, particularly for "breeders". The main characters meet when Stian has set out to rescue his brother from life as a breeder and finds Whiskey08C39( who has escaped a dreadful life in a brothel) unconscious along the way. There is an instant connection between them. but they fight their attraction to each other initially. I enjoyed the story as Stian continues on his quest to find his brother and lets his feelings for Whiskey grow while he teaches him about survival in the Outskirts. Although their world is a dangerous one with a government that has taken away many freedoms, we do see glimpses of kindness and hope. The book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I am looking forward to the next one to give us a HEA.

[Ashley]

Jacey Davis is a new author to me, and I absolutely enjoyed this book!! An amazing start to a new series and I can not wait for book 2. I love the relationship between Stian and Whiskey, and can not wait to see more from these two. Great writing and an enjoyable read!!

[Li Taylor]

brilliant

I can’t wait to read the rest of this series what a cliff hanger. Whiskey and Stian found each other, now they need to find Ronan. Great exciting story. Highly recommended

[Eva Wade]

dark romance

Holy cow this was a great post apocalyptic M/M story.talk of stuff that might be triggers so be warned.I love whiskey and stian. Great plot lots of action I can’t wait for more

[Felicity]

Hooked

Great start to a new series. Awesome world building!! I loved the blossoming relationship between Whiskey and Stian. Can't wait for book 2.

[MM Book]

Well-written and gripping and emotionally-ridden dystopian story by Jacey Davis. If you’re deciding whether to read this or not, please do read it! It’s just amazing! Be ready to feel.

[C. Roth]

This is a post-apocalyptic after the world ended when the nuclear fallout severely altered the environment and wiped out most of the male population. We meet Stian, a survivor hiding from the government, so he isn’t sent to a breeding camp. He is on a mission to locate his brother who was taken ten years before and interred in one of the Breeding Camps. During his journey, Stian meets Whiskey who has escaped from the brothels, and there is a connection that continues to develop between the two even though they fight it.

Jacey has built an intriguing world with amazing, well-developed characters. This one won’t disappoint!