Ricochet

The House of Silence #2

by J.A. Jaken

Novel (70,000 words)
Genre(s): Erotic Gothic, Suspense, BDSM
The sanctuary of the House of Silence is shattered when an influential client presents Master Charon with an ultimatum, plunging him and his beautiful young men into a nightmare of reprisals, forcing them to fight for their lives, their sanity, and their right to exist. What secret threatens the governments of two countries? They will have to work together to unlock the secrets buried deep in the House's past and survive the forces aligning against them. (M/M - For content labels and excerpt, see details on publisher's site.)

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Erotica, Menage, Fantasy, Romance, Suspense

Unknown Binding

First published April 27, 2012

About the author

J.A. Jaken has been writing homoerotic fiction for more than ten years. She got her start in the profession writing slash fanfiction, where she has published numerous stories under the pen-name Rushlight. Over the years she has written erotic short stories and novels in genres ranging from science fiction/fantasy to gothic horror to modern detective mysteries.

She realized at a young age that she was attracted to the darker side of life in the fictional stories she felt compelled to write. She feels there is something enormously satisfying about putting a character through intense physical and emotional hardship, and then carrying him or her through out the other side. She believes that is the main reason why she tends to write stories with a darker edge to them. Characters are the most interesting when they've had all of the baggage, all of their many masks, stripped away from them and they're left with nothing but the purest core of who and what they are.

Outside of writing, her interests include studying foreign languages, riding horses, practicing martial arts, and collecting medieval weaponry. She speaks a little bit of French, a little bit of American Sign Language, a little bit of Japanese, but she's not really fluent in any of them (although she's trying!). She's endlessly fascinated by just about everything she sees around her and is constantly looking for new ways to learn and improve her knowledge of the world.

Reviews

[Elizabetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent wrap up to the House of Silence (HOS) book one, picking up immediately from the cliffhanger ending and unfolding with fast-paced, unrelenting tension. The (HOS) is under siege by an evil, wicked, dastardly rat-assed bastard of a bad guy who wants one of our rent boys at any cost. We've grown to love all the guys who work for the House and it is unfathomable that any hurt should come to any of them. To say any more would be to give away too much, but be assured that:

*this is a well written piece of steamy erotica
*it has mystery and great action/suspense scenes
*all the characters are well drawn (well, the bad guys become almost cartoonishly bad but this is a small nit-pick)
*it has torture/abuse/non-con/rape/ (so beware if that's not your thing)
*it has romance (within the confines of this world that is, and that's ok, it's sweetly done)

The two books in this series are going on my favorites shelf tout de suite. These books deserve much more notice -- Very fun and very highly recommended.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picked up right where Volume One ended. It was chuck full of action and suspense. However, the plot did get a little drawn-out and far-fetched towards the middle. I love all these characters, so I'm ignoring that part. Vincent and Aburon are still my favorite. The connection between them is so freakin intense! They better be in the next book.

One of the most touching moments was when Reiji and Charon got together at the end. I loved seeing Reiji's vulnerability. He desperately needed to feel special and cared for, and Charon gave him that.

I can't wait for the next book.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series tremendously. The word I keep wanting to use to describe it is romp--although it's too dark for that, really. It is pretty heavy in parts...there is some very nasty non-con and bdsm scenes that would hardly be called 'play'....I suppose what was really missing for me in this second book was more character development. I love it most when I get to spend time in a character's head and because there are so many in this story, and so much going on, there wasn't enough of an emotional connection for me to give this 5 stars. So what it is is one twisted, hot, action-packed romp involving some vulnerable, scarred, interesting inhabitants of the bordello. I loved the hurt/comfort themes, and that by the end, these men from disparate backgrounds have found a sense of belonging and family. Yes, there were many sex scenes and, for the most part, they were pretty hot. This is not a romance though. A small part of me wishes this was like one of those lonnng slavefic series like Slave Breakers , so that each character could have their own story properly told...and their own HEA fully realised.

If you enjoy dub-con, slavefic and Teahouse you'll probably get a kick out of this series.

And now that the AA has come and replaced my car battery I guess I'd better get to work. Three bonus hours to finish a book! Sometimes Monday mornings aren't that bad

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS
This is quite an interesting series, I'm not usually a huge fan of books that are based around a lot of sex and I mean a LOT of sex but this is about a Bordello called The House of Silence. Reputed to be the best in the world, so it's necessary. I'm also not a big fan of BDSM either but it hold it's place very well in this series too. The end of book one was a bit much but set the MC's bonds in place for the ride book two takes off at.

The MC's are numerous, which is something I've always LOVED with a good book. Having 5-6 MC's is fundamental to make this series work and it's done with great balance through excellent writing and excellent plots that are numerous. You must pay attention while reading these books.

It's hard to describe the genre through, aside from erotica and BDSM. I'd also put edgy thriller in that mix too, they're excellent thrillers, especially this one Ricochet. There is only one thing I don't like and that's because it's not really explained, so it kind of make it a little pointless to go to the trouble without an explanation in my opinion. It's not strictly UF but they're not fantasy either. I didn't realise this until all the countries and location were made up but it's equivalent to how we live but I don't get that. It really has no effect on the book as it's rarely mentioned but it wasn't necessary unless there's an explanation coming.

Don't let that put you off though. This book was an excellent erotic thriller and not usually my thing but I really enjoyed it.

[Wusswoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, I did, but... I don't know. It isn't a romance per se. I liked all the characters, I loved the setting. And the book galloped along a fair pace and kept me interested. I just didn't love it. But I did like it!

[Day-thief · Rating 3 out of 5]

To use Reiji's words, one of the boys at the House of Silence:

"It's quite the story. It's got action, intrigue, and a lot of people doing a lot of stupid, ridiculously brave things to try to save the day."

Nonetheless, the second part of HoS ("The House at war") felt a bit random at times and wordy. Also, the plot seriously lost momentum somewhere in between all the running from one place to the next. And let's be honest. Much like Vol. 1, this book was saved by the very nicely done sex scenes. And Vincent and Aburon's scenes were by far the best for me - so intense and deliciously wicked and beautifully written:

"When a slave submitted through his own free will, fully cognizant both of what he was offering and what he was getting in return, that was when the magic truly happened. It was the choice to submit that made all the difference."

"He never fooled himself into thinking Vincent could be solely his; ... But for this moment - right here, right now - this beautiful stray cat of a spirit had consented to curl up on his lap, to bow to his will and accept what he had to offer it."

I earmarked all their juicy encounters, so I can go back when necessary ;)

[Hpstrangelove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really glad I had both Volumes to read because I would have hated to have to wait for this one since Volume 1 ended on a cliff-hanger.

I was surprised at how different the two volumes seemed though. Vol 1 was sexy and introduced you to all the main characters. We got partial back stories, enough to make things mysterious. Towards the end we get the conflict and our main characters in peril.

Vol 2 had much more plot and action than sex, although there is plenty of sex. Since books don't traditionally come with warnings the way fanfiction does, I'll warn about it here - there is a graphic rape scene and a second, graphic dub/non-con scene. If you ever wonder what the difference is between rape and non-con, this book has a pretty good example.

Vol 2 felt like an end to their story but I know there is another volume being edited so I look forward to seeing how the story continues. There is also a recently released prequel which is the interviews of some of the main characters when they came to the House of Silence. I'll be reading that soon.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 2 offers a good continuation of Volume 1, with continued erotica, gratuitous violence, and sex.

However, the plot really develops in this book and everything comes together. None of the characters really seems that intricate, except the House of Silence itself. It is a lovely world and a fun combination of caste and modernity. But the one-dimensional characters would stop it working as a non-magical epic fantasy novel. Breaking up the plot with lots of hot sex and violence makes it a fun read as an erotic novel. I think if the characters had been more differentiated, more consistent in their personalities, this book would have been very good with less emphasis on the details of sex and rapes. The idea of the plot is quite clever. As a sex book, it pushes boundaries with its violence and lack of traditional relationships.

[Eed99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First=do not read this volume if you haven't read the first one-you will have no idea what is going on.

Second this book was excellent.

I think what makes this book and the series of books work is that Jaken takes the time to develop interesting, 3-D characters. The characters are complicated and like real people they have strengths and weaknesses.

In addition to the great characters, there is also a bit of mystery and action adventure involved. This book actually had more action than the first and it moved at a very fast pace.

I highly recommend both volumes of The House of Silence.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the follow up to the first book and takes off exactly where it left off. This book switched gears from the first and turns into more of an action/suspense book as they try to keep Vincent from the bad guys with mixed results. The sex in this one takes a darker turn with alot more non-consent and all out rape that just didn't appeal to me. The end was some what of a shock and there were some nice fuzzy feelings but I just had a hard time switching from the more laid back erotic first book to the action darker themes in this one.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please check out my review for both books here and Elizabetta's excellent review for book 2.

[Rosemary O'Malley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars again.

A nice resolution to a very engaging story. It has its dark moments but overall it's thrilling and arousing.

I think I'd like another one, actually.

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reviewing the audio edition. The is the continuation from the first book. There is so much more information in this book than the first and so much more comes out about the characters. The story also gets so much more in-depth in this book. There is quite a bit of sex that makes this story intense. The twists this story takes made it hard to set aside. Finding out the history behind Master Charon was a great surprise. The relationships between the boys and Master Charon gives warmth to the story that otherwise might focus too much on the sex. I really enjoyed this story. I feel the author has a talent for making the characters real. The narration by Dan Calley is perfect. His ability to change the tone and personality between the characters is brilliant. I’m anxious to see where the third book goes from here.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment. There was intrigue, sex and politics. Charon was gone for much of the book which allowed the reader time to learn more about the young men and others.

[Happei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this one.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up loving Charon and his boys, even if I did have a few niggles. Each was well developed, wonderfully flawed, and ultimately likeable. Add an uptight cop, a mysterious patron, and a lonely lord, sprinkle in a few despicable bad guys, and you've got a sexy, intriguing story. Well written and edited, but I would have liked more extensive world building.

I did not like that one of the boys was tortured, and I'll admit I almost stopped reading the book at that juncture. So beware. In the end, it was a very good story and I intend to read the next one. Highlights recommended.

Merged review:

A solid sequel to Exodus

I loved Charon and his boys. Each was well developed, wonderfully flawed, and ultimately likeable. Add an uptight cop, a mysterious patron, and a lonely lord, sprinkle in a few despicable bad guys, and you've got a sexy, intriguing story. Well written and edited, but I would have liked more extensive world building.

I did not like that one of the boys was tortured, and I'll admit I almost stopped reading the book at that juncture. So beware. In the end, it was a very good story and I intend to read the next one. Highlights recommended.

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite exciting

Some parts of this book were very difficult to read. There is non-con/dub-con and rape. DON'T read if these are triggers.

This was the second part of the book, which completes the world building and the majority of the character building in this story. It's actually a somewhat complex political structure. Much like our own world, the wealth of businessmen provides great political influence. I thought the whole thing was great. There was action and tension, subterfuge and bravery. The was justice served, sort of. It was a familiar trope in an unusual setting, where family consists of those you choose, not always the one you're born into.

[Toofan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to read despite the fact that the author doesn't even know the basics about security business, and the too simplistic resolutions of the main conflicts, and that some parts didn't really made seance or were self-contradictory!
I could make a long detailed list with all that is wrong with this book, but fact is I rather enjoyed reading it, at the same time I can clearly see that this is not every body's cup of tea.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Good sequel to the original House of Silence story.

[The Blog of Sid Love]

5 Stars

Please read review at The Blog of Sid Love