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The Slave Breakers ##3
Lee's Story
Lee's story is the third tale in the Slave Breakers saga. Imagine a modern society parallel to our own where impoverished peasants are legally permitted to sell their children into slavery starting at age 15. The upper class households in this world demonstrate their wealth by buying the best of everything - including people.
Bran returns to his old master but this time it is to retrieve yet another slave that is being sold to the "slave breakers". Returning to his former home, even for such a short period of time, has its effects on Bran as does Lee, his master's new acquisition.
Note: This book originally appeared as posts on LiveJournal and still contains some editing notes. The text is sexually explicit (including m/m and polyamorous situations) and is intended for adult readers.
Bran returns to his old master but this time it is to retrieve yet another slave that is being sold to the "slave breakers". Returning to his former home, even for such a short period of time, has its effects on Bran as does Lee, his master's new acquisition.
Note: This book originally appeared as posts on LiveJournal and still contains some editing notes. The text is sexually explicit (including m/m and polyamorous situations) and is intended for adult readers.
545 pages, ebook
First published October 23, 2008
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602 people want to read
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March 4, 2015
Lee’s Story is the final installment to The Slave Breakers. I was…disappointed. Happy for some characters? Mostly confused. I don’t know, this book is such a mixed bag.
Lee is a slave abused by the same sadistic fuck who owned Bran. Alix and Holden take him in with the intent to resell him at a profit, but instead his rehabilitation starts this whole cascade of events that turn them all into the leaders of the abolitionist cause.
Sigh. This was not what I signed up for. I wanted a severely twisted society with deplorable yet intriguing characters. The first two stories were like watching a pervert’s dollhouse through a magnifying glass; I can enjoy a whole array of violence and sexual taboos when characters are flawed sociopaths or the setting is completely opposite to our own.
But damn it, when modern notions of civility come into play, when virtue ethics like “freedom” and “dignity” are discussed, when slavery is treated like the blight against humanity that it is, then that’s an entirely different atmosphere. The dollhouse is gone, the story becomes relatable, the dolls become people. That means I don’t revel in the debauchery, the kinkiness is not arousing, and the relationships ring utterly false. This is my boundary.
If the author wants to do the morally right thing and go down this path of abolishing slavery, then I am a much harsher judge.
Easily, the strength of the story is the camaraderie of the slaves. Bran, Yves, Jer, Lee, Greta and Inga were such dynamic characters. The author here is so incredibly smart, putting you in the shoes of these slaves, hearing their reactions, hearing them defend or defame their owners… what would happen to a broken boy like Lee? How does an embittered slave like Jer see his lot in life? Is Yves truly content? How would Bran protect Holden? They all have psychological damage, and the author did not shy away from how messed up they all are. Bran’s visit to his old home was heart-wrenching.
On the other hand, this story didn’t examine the clash of identities of slave-owning abolitionists as well as it did the complexity of the slaves’ examination of self. Holden admittedly enjoys owning people, making him the biggest, ugliest hypocrite in this universe as he himself hated being a slave. Abstaining physical violence makes him a “kind master,” but a good person? A good lover, a husband? Please. Holden’s a fucking bastard, not a hero.
Which brings me to the biggest flaw of the story: that Alix and Holden, former slaves and current slave owners, are treated as the heroes of this story. They aren’t. One of the most emotional character developments is when Yet we are supposed to root him on like this was the most dramatic revelation in the history of the world.
Because here, Bran and Holden are treated as equal lovers, which continually had me grinding my teeth together. Just…no.
Romantic slave stories do not and cannot have such simplistic HEAs. Valor was always treated like the flawed character she is; her parents should have been too. If the tone of the The Slave Breakers were more ambiguous, like “is this really a happy ending? Are Holden and Alix good people, truly? What would a happy ending be for Bran? Yves? Lee?” I probably would have liked it more than this dogmatic categorization of such conflicting, layered, fucked-up relationships.
Which, at the end of it all, makes it very hard to review this book. The clearly talented author wrote an intelligent character piece and injected some social commentary into slavefic, which I wholeheartedly applaud. Yet, I was never convinced that Holden and Bran honestly loved each other, and seeing them portrayed essentially riding off into the sunset is disgusting.
But I recognize that my boundaries are just that – my own. Many people can and do enjoy this story, but if you’re like me, I can’t recommend the second and third installments.
Lee is a slave abused by the same sadistic fuck who owned Bran. Alix and Holden take him in with the intent to resell him at a profit, but instead his rehabilitation starts this whole cascade of events that turn them all into the leaders of the abolitionist cause.
Sigh. This was not what I signed up for. I wanted a severely twisted society with deplorable yet intriguing characters. The first two stories were like watching a pervert’s dollhouse through a magnifying glass; I can enjoy a whole array of violence and sexual taboos when characters are flawed sociopaths or the setting is completely opposite to our own.
But damn it, when modern notions of civility come into play, when virtue ethics like “freedom” and “dignity” are discussed, when slavery is treated like the blight against humanity that it is, then that’s an entirely different atmosphere. The dollhouse is gone, the story becomes relatable, the dolls become people. That means I don’t revel in the debauchery, the kinkiness is not arousing, and the relationships ring utterly false. This is my boundary.
If the author wants to do the morally right thing and go down this path of abolishing slavery, then I am a much harsher judge.
Easily, the strength of the story is the camaraderie of the slaves. Bran, Yves, Jer, Lee, Greta and Inga were such dynamic characters. The author here is so incredibly smart, putting you in the shoes of these slaves, hearing their reactions, hearing them defend or defame their owners… what would happen to a broken boy like Lee? How does an embittered slave like Jer see his lot in life? Is Yves truly content? How would Bran protect Holden? They all have psychological damage, and the author did not shy away from how messed up they all are. Bran’s visit to his old home was heart-wrenching.
On the other hand, this story didn’t examine the clash of identities of slave-owning abolitionists as well as it did the complexity of the slaves’ examination of self. Holden admittedly enjoys owning people, making him the biggest, ugliest hypocrite in this universe as he himself hated being a slave. Abstaining physical violence makes him a “kind master,” but a good person? A good lover, a husband? Please. Holden’s a fucking bastard, not a hero.
Which brings me to the biggest flaw of the story: that Alix and Holden, former slaves and current slave owners, are treated as the heroes of this story. They aren’t. One of the most emotional character developments is when Yet we are supposed to root him on like this was the most dramatic revelation in the history of the world.
Because here, Bran and Holden are treated as equal lovers, which continually had me grinding my teeth together. Just…no.
Romantic slave stories do not and cannot have such simplistic HEAs. Valor was always treated like the flawed character she is; her parents should have been too. If the tone of the The Slave Breakers were more ambiguous, like “is this really a happy ending? Are Holden and Alix good people, truly? What would a happy ending be for Bran? Yves? Lee?” I probably would have liked it more than this dogmatic categorization of such conflicting, layered, fucked-up relationships.
Which, at the end of it all, makes it very hard to review this book. The clearly talented author wrote an intelligent character piece and injected some social commentary into slavefic, which I wholeheartedly applaud. Yet, I was never convinced that Holden and Bran honestly loved each other, and seeing them portrayed essentially riding off into the sunset is disgusting.
But I recognize that my boundaries are just that – my own. Many people can and do enjoy this story, but if you’re like me, I can’t recommend the second and third installments.
March 9, 2015
Ugh… Dunaev returns. *lip curl* He's brutalized yet another sweetling only this time he's beaten him bloody, has him chained in a dark basement cell lying in a pool of his own urine & catatonic when Holden et al. arrive. Needless to say Lee requires a more intense level of care from the slave breakers than either Bran or Jesse.
Lee is skittish & scared of his own shadow not to mention malnourished & severely underweight so much so that he has to be hospitalized immediately after purchase. He's also suffering from a severely damaged self image, seeing himself as useless & worthless with very little hope for the future of things changing. It seems the only person he's willing or able to trust initially is Bran. Bran in all his glory steps up to the plate & takes Lee under his wing which is the catalyst for a slight misunderstanding between Bran & Holden. Lee has a profound effect on the entire household in various ways, even getting grumpy Jer to loosen up a bit. He also serves as a springboard for the abolitionist movement which now apparently includes Valor & Jesse?
There's many twists & turns to keep the story entertaining as it's about three times the length of the first two. Bran has matured into a poised, responsible & confident young man. He's picked up quite a few of Holden's techniques that he uses to great effect with Lee. He's also become expertly mischievous & manipulative in a subbie way. Adorable. We continue to get to know the others in the house & I think that's why I like series like this so much-along the way you acquire more knowledge about the characters which provides a better ability to predict behavior & identify when something is out of character. I felt like I got there with this series. Bran is obviously my favorite but I love all the characters & I loved getting to know them. Cannot say enough good things about this series.
Lee is skittish & scared of his own shadow not to mention malnourished & severely underweight so much so that he has to be hospitalized immediately after purchase. He's also suffering from a severely damaged self image, seeing himself as useless & worthless with very little hope for the future of things changing. It seems the only person he's willing or able to trust initially is Bran. Bran in all his glory steps up to the plate & takes Lee under his wing which is the catalyst for a slight misunderstanding between Bran & Holden. Lee has a profound effect on the entire household in various ways, even getting grumpy Jer to loosen up a bit. He also serves as a springboard for the abolitionist movement which now apparently includes Valor & Jesse?
There's many twists & turns to keep the story entertaining as it's about three times the length of the first two. Bran has matured into a poised, responsible & confident young man. He's picked up quite a few of Holden's techniques that he uses to great effect with Lee. He's also become expertly mischievous & manipulative in a subbie way. Adorable. We continue to get to know the others in the house & I think that's why I like series like this so much-along the way you acquire more knowledge about the characters which provides a better ability to predict behavior & identify when something is out of character. I felt like I got there with this series. Bran is obviously my favorite but I love all the characters & I loved getting to know them. Cannot say enough good things about this series.
January 2, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, it was a very satisfying conclusion to The Slave Breakers series. This was Lee's story but I was glad that the majority of the book centered around Holden, who did everything he could to keep the people he loved together.
Towards the end I was a bit worried about who would actually be left with Holden but everything worked out really well in the end. I was also really pleased that Jer and Lee realised what they meant to each other and had a good relationship.
Towards the end I was a bit worried about who would actually be left with Holden but everything worked out really well in the end. I was also really pleased that Jer and Lee realised what they meant to each other and had a good relationship.
June 28, 2012
I dreaded reading this book. Will another foray into this break my heart? Will it make me rage against the inhumanity? Will I still love Holden? Will I still not like Valor? Will I still be confused about Alix and Holden's marriage? Will I still adore Bran? The answer is YES to every question!
Lee is the latest abused slave of Dunaev. Lord Dunaev is a piece of work. His inadequacies are taken out on his slaves. We learn more about this slave world. The injustice of it as well as how it keeps crime low. The premise is interesting. A child is sold by parents to give the child a better life. Yet the child immediate ceases to be a human and becomes a property. As property, the child can be killed and no one will blink an eye. The purpose of the slaves from my understanding is to keep riffraff off the streets.
Lee becomes a catalyst for a movement to protect slaves from such abuse. Interesting points are brought up. How much legislation is required to protect? Will it go overboard? The system is not perfect, but for the most part, it seems to be working. A group of idealistic young free youths decide to use this to make a point. They want to use the photos of Lee's abused body at the hands of his master to showcase the atrocities. The two leading this are Valor and her new girlfriend, Robin.
Valor is still the pretentious, spoiled, self-centered, arrogant, immature, thoughtless, temper tantrum throwing little shit. Well, she does take after her mother. I always thought Greta was a little manipulative useless bitch. Now that we know who her father is, I'm even more disgusted. I don't understand Alix. How could she have loved her last master? I see nothing redeeming about him. It's all so confusing for me. The women in this story are just odd.
Let's talk about Valor's new nasty ass girlfriend, Robin. Robin is a rude immature cunt. I can't stand her. She has impulse control issues and she is a disgrace. The reason why she hates abusive slave owners is because if she was a slave owner, she'd be an abusive one. No matter how many times Denys (another member of the Scooby Abolish Slavery Gang) tries to tell us that Robin is good, I don't buy it. Her actions speak louder than words. I hold nothing but contempt for this child. She needs a good caning. She's a liability for the group she's working for, instead of a asset. I could go on about how much I dislike her.
While this story is about Lee's recovering, it's really about Holden. His epiphanies shake his beliefs. His self questioning is painful to watch. I don't agree at all when Valor is compared to Holden. I don't see how they are alike. Perhaps it is because we haven't seen Holden when he was younger. Holden is an amazing human being. He's not flawless. He tries his best. I find him perfect. What he does for his slaves and other slaves he trains, it's exactly what is needed. Yes, he is a psychiatrist who also trains in sex and obedience. I call him the slave whisperer. Love him.
Even though this story is not fully edited, it's still written so well. The story is captivating. The writing voice pulls me. This author is truly gifted. I can't tell if there is more show or tell, I just know that I follow each part of the story as if I'm standing here, silently watching. The sex is hot. The emotions invoked in me are so strong. I highly recommend this book to m/m readers who enjoy slave stories which tackle ideology while running smack up against reality.
Lee is the latest abused slave of Dunaev. Lord Dunaev is a piece of work. His inadequacies are taken out on his slaves. We learn more about this slave world. The injustice of it as well as how it keeps crime low. The premise is interesting. A child is sold by parents to give the child a better life. Yet the child immediate ceases to be a human and becomes a property. As property, the child can be killed and no one will blink an eye. The purpose of the slaves from my understanding is to keep riffraff off the streets.
Lee becomes a catalyst for a movement to protect slaves from such abuse. Interesting points are brought up. How much legislation is required to protect? Will it go overboard? The system is not perfect, but for the most part, it seems to be working. A group of idealistic young free youths decide to use this to make a point. They want to use the photos of Lee's abused body at the hands of his master to showcase the atrocities. The two leading this are Valor and her new girlfriend, Robin.
Valor is still the pretentious, spoiled, self-centered, arrogant, immature, thoughtless, temper tantrum throwing little shit. Well, she does take after her mother. I always thought Greta was a little manipulative useless bitch. Now that we know who her father is, I'm even more disgusted. I don't understand Alix. How could she have loved her last master? I see nothing redeeming about him. It's all so confusing for me. The women in this story are just odd.
Let's talk about Valor's new nasty ass girlfriend, Robin. Robin is a rude immature cunt. I can't stand her. She has impulse control issues and she is a disgrace. The reason why she hates abusive slave owners is because if she was a slave owner, she'd be an abusive one. No matter how many times Denys (another member of the Scooby Abolish Slavery Gang) tries to tell us that Robin is good, I don't buy it. Her actions speak louder than words. I hold nothing but contempt for this child. She needs a good caning. She's a liability for the group she's working for, instead of a asset. I could go on about how much I dislike her.
While this story is about Lee's recovering, it's really about Holden. His epiphanies shake his beliefs. His self questioning is painful to watch. I don't agree at all when Valor is compared to Holden. I don't see how they are alike. Perhaps it is because we haven't seen Holden when he was younger. Holden is an amazing human being. He's not flawless. He tries his best. I find him perfect. What he does for his slaves and other slaves he trains, it's exactly what is needed. Yes, he is a psychiatrist who also trains in sex and obedience. I call him the slave whisperer. Love him.
Even though this story is not fully edited, it's still written so well. The story is captivating. The writing voice pulls me. This author is truly gifted. I can't tell if there is more show or tell, I just know that I follow each part of the story as if I'm standing here, silently watching. The sex is hot. The emotions invoked in me are so strong. I highly recommend this book to m/m readers who enjoy slave stories which tackle ideology while running smack up against reality.
October 12, 2016
Review is for the overall series rather than individual books.
Can't even say how much I'm crushing on these characters and this universe. Fucking LOVE it! Sooo damn good! If you're a fan of slave stories (and free reads), this is one you won't want to miss!
Can't even say how much I'm crushing on these characters and this universe. Fucking LOVE it! Sooo damn good! If you're a fan of slave stories (and free reads), this is one you won't want to miss!
June 20, 2013
This one just didn't do it for me. It's the longest in the series over 500 pages and benefits from the majority of the book switching between Holden's and Lee's POV. Unfortunately for me that's not exactly where I saw this one going, the whole abolition line.
On the other hand how did Jer and Lee get together? And why is Andrei even allowing it? Doesn't make any sense. Does Lee suddenly have a god(s) complex because Jer saved him?
Yves needed bigger role in these book alone with Greta and Alix. Just an after thought.
On the other hand how did Jer and Lee get together? And why is Andrei even allowing it? Doesn't make any sense. Does Lee suddenly have a god(s) complex because Jer saved him?
Yves needed bigger role in these book alone with Greta and Alix. Just an after thought.
April 2, 2016
Not really sure what to say on this one.
It's always hard to rate a book you found not to your taste yet you can't help reading till the end.
I really liked Lee but I was kinda disappointed in his ending.
The world building in this series was never really fleshed out either. It's part almost roman times with slaves and tunics and then we have modern day cars and telephones.
For a book about sex slaves the actual sex is kept light, but then throws in random things like fisting for no real apparent reason.
The epilogue was really rushed and felt disjointed from the rest of the story.
Overall the story is there and I was interested enough to finish the series but at the same time I was left feeling uncomfortable with the setting.
It's always hard to rate a book you found not to your taste yet you can't help reading till the end.
I really liked Lee but I was kinda disappointed in his ending.
The world building in this series was never really fleshed out either. It's part almost roman times with slaves and tunics and then we have modern day cars and telephones.
For a book about sex slaves the actual sex is kept light, but then throws in random things like fisting for no real apparent reason.
The epilogue was really rushed and felt disjointed from the rest of the story.
Overall the story is there and I was interested enough to finish the series but at the same time I was left feeling uncomfortable with the setting.
March 29, 2016
I really enjoyed the last installment of the Slave Breakers Series. All my favorite characters are there and the drama is heightened....until I reached the 90% mark then the story takes a nose dive.
I'm not happy with how the story is wrapped up. It all happens so quickly that a lot of questions are still left unanswered. Time moves ahead at breakneck speed omitting how Lee gets to where he is leaving me feeling like I've just finished reading an incomplete story and that makes me sad, I was loving this series.
I should probably give this last installment less than 4 stars because of how it's wrapped up but I can't, the rest of the story was excellent.
I'm not happy with how the story is wrapped up. It all happens so quickly that a lot of questions are still left unanswered. Time moves ahead at breakneck speed omitting how Lee gets to where he is leaving me feeling like I've just finished reading an incomplete story and that makes me sad, I was loving this series.
I should probably give this last installment less than 4 stars because of how it's wrapped up but I can't, the rest of the story was excellent.
May 6, 2016
Lee's Story comes three years after the end of Jesse's Story and five years after the end of Bran's Story. Dunaev, Bran's old master, has ruined another slave, and this time has dubbed him 'irreparable'.
Meet Lee. He's terrified, catatonic, and even worse off than Bran was when Holden and Alix bought him from Dunaev. Reminded horribly of Bran, Holden begins to think seriously about the consequences of slavery and makes a decision that could have repercussions for his whole family.
This book is a hell of a lot longer than the other two (like, five hundred and forty-five pages long), but I devoured it just the same. This one switches between Holden and Lee's points of view, which works quite well for the purposes of the story. It was interesting, especially, to read things from Holden's point of view.
Holden has been a bit of a mystery in previous books, so it was really nice to get an insight into his mind. I decided early on in this book that him and Bran are both blind idiots, but I love them anyway.
It was also really interesting to read about Holden trying to help and fix Lee when he wasn't physically attracted to him at all. He felt all paternal towards him, and I liked that these feelings were one of the things that triggered him thinking seriously about abolition.
Valor really came into her own in this book. I mean, she's still an idiot and quite unlikeable, but she did a lot of growing up by the end of this book. I really enjoyed watching her journey, even if poor Holden didn't.
Also, I enjoyed the fact that Jesse made a semi-reappearance, even if I'm still puzzling over his words.
The characters continued to grow and develop in this one, and it was nice to see them all from Lee's fresh point of view. Especially Jer, I think.
It was intriguing reading what's basically a slave fic focused all around abolition. Especially when it actually made me feel conflicted about the whole argument. I mean, I'm against slavery in real life, but all I could think about was the consequences of abolition on the little family I'd grown to love. Puzzling.
The time skips towards the end annoyed me, but I can see why they're necessary, and probably would have been less annoying in the original Livejournal form.
I was sad to come to the end of this one. A series hasn't grabbed my attention and made me so completely unable to stop thinking about it in a long time. Luckily I have some one shots to read on Maculategiraffe's journal! :)
Highly recommended, but read the other two first! :)
Meet Lee. He's terrified, catatonic, and even worse off than Bran was when Holden and Alix bought him from Dunaev. Reminded horribly of Bran, Holden begins to think seriously about the consequences of slavery and makes a decision that could have repercussions for his whole family.
This book is a hell of a lot longer than the other two (like, five hundred and forty-five pages long), but I devoured it just the same. This one switches between Holden and Lee's points of view, which works quite well for the purposes of the story. It was interesting, especially, to read things from Holden's point of view.
Holden has been a bit of a mystery in previous books, so it was really nice to get an insight into his mind. I decided early on in this book that him and Bran are both blind idiots, but I love them anyway.
It was also really interesting to read about Holden trying to help and fix Lee when he wasn't physically attracted to him at all. He felt all paternal towards him, and I liked that these feelings were one of the things that triggered him thinking seriously about abolition.
Valor really came into her own in this book. I mean, she's still an idiot and quite unlikeable, but she did a lot of growing up by the end of this book. I really enjoyed watching her journey, even if poor Holden didn't.
Also, I enjoyed the fact that Jesse made a semi-reappearance, even if I'm still puzzling over his words.
The characters continued to grow and develop in this one, and it was nice to see them all from Lee's fresh point of view. Especially Jer, I think.
It was intriguing reading what's basically a slave fic focused all around abolition. Especially when it actually made me feel conflicted about the whole argument. I mean, I'm against slavery in real life, but all I could think about was the consequences of abolition on the little family I'd grown to love. Puzzling.
The time skips towards the end annoyed me, but I can see why they're necessary, and probably would have been less annoying in the original Livejournal form.
I was sad to come to the end of this one. A series hasn't grabbed my attention and made me so completely unable to stop thinking about it in a long time. Luckily I have some one shots to read on Maculategiraffe's journal! :)
Highly recommended, but read the other two first! :)
June 26, 2013
Worthy conclusion to a stellar series. This last installment tackles the ethical quandary which was only glancingly addressed in the two previous books: the social and psychological ramifications of slavery, and its future as a legal institution. The narrative accomplishes this while never straying from its established formula of focusing tightly on emotional, touching and sexy interpersonal relationships among characters we have come to know and care for.
When Holden’s latest rescued slave (Lee) arrives in such abysmal physical condition that he requires hospitalization, he unwittingly provides a test case and focal point for the incipient abolitionist movement--of which some characters of the reader’s acquaintance turn out to be members. While caring for Lee in the household’s usual fashion, everyone in it must come to terms with his or her own beliefs about slavery itself, and determine the right thing to do. While it seems a simplistic question on its face, each individual has his own fascinating take on what slavery has meant to him and what it will continue to mean for future generations.
Despite the weighty political theme, the story is centered as always on the individuals of Holden’s household, including the newcomer, Lee, and the ways in which they love each other. There are playful sex scenes, heart to heart talks, revelations, drama, surprises, crises, and joy.
Holden’s and Bran’s relationship matures into adult stability, Yves and Jer find opportunity to express their beliefs and desires in exhilarating fashion, and the future of the slave breakers’ business is contemplated. Holden is at his most humanly fallible as he faces the potential dissolution of everything he has ever known. The ending is powerfully poignant. The characters do not have a perfect world, but they most emphatically have each other.
Unquestioningly meritorious of professional publication, this free series remains among the very best of its kind.
Highly recommended.
When Holden’s latest rescued slave (Lee) arrives in such abysmal physical condition that he requires hospitalization, he unwittingly provides a test case and focal point for the incipient abolitionist movement--of which some characters of the reader’s acquaintance turn out to be members. While caring for Lee in the household’s usual fashion, everyone in it must come to terms with his or her own beliefs about slavery itself, and determine the right thing to do. While it seems a simplistic question on its face, each individual has his own fascinating take on what slavery has meant to him and what it will continue to mean for future generations.
Despite the weighty political theme, the story is centered as always on the individuals of Holden’s household, including the newcomer, Lee, and the ways in which they love each other. There are playful sex scenes, heart to heart talks, revelations, drama, surprises, crises, and joy.
Holden’s and Bran’s relationship matures into adult stability, Yves and Jer find opportunity to express their beliefs and desires in exhilarating fashion, and the future of the slave breakers’ business is contemplated. Holden is at his most humanly fallible as he faces the potential dissolution of everything he has ever known. The ending is powerfully poignant. The characters do not have a perfect world, but they most emphatically have each other.
Unquestioningly meritorious of professional publication, this free series remains among the very best of its kind.
Highly recommended.
June 2, 2011
Overall
Of the three main stories (Bran's, Jesse's and Lee's), I had the most difficulty getting through this one. It had nothing to do with the writing (it was just as strong), or the story (lots going on), or the characters (still love them all), but nonetheless, I struggled about half-way through. Part of me, I think, was afraid that I wasn't going to get a happy ending, but even after I was assured on that front (and I really shouldn't have worried), I had to force myself to finish reading it. I mention this only because I read the first half of the story several months ago and then finished the book.
Strengths
Writing. Characters. Story. All the things that made the previous stories great continue to shine in this one. The writing is strong and consistent, the characters come alive and we see more variation in their behaviors/likes/dislikes than previously, and instead of rehashing the same old "rescued kid" story, which I loved and love still, the author takes that to a new level and makes it more and by doing so makes all the characters become more than they were before as well.
Plot/resolution. I won't say anything to spoil, but I'm pleased with how things turned out. There is a happy ending, but it's not too perfect, either. Very fitting.
Overall, I love these stories and the writing. Highly enjoyable and free, what more can you ask for?
Weaknesses
While I'm not sure if this was any longer than the others, it felt longer, possibly because it combined two story lines in one. This one gets more political/social, which isn't a bad thing, but it does disrupt the relationship dynamics some only because it takes time away from just plain enjoying them.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
Of the three main stories (Bran's, Jesse's and Lee's), I had the most difficulty getting through this one. It had nothing to do with the writing (it was just as strong), or the story (lots going on), or the characters (still love them all), but nonetheless, I struggled about half-way through. Part of me, I think, was afraid that I wasn't going to get a happy ending, but even after I was assured on that front (and I really shouldn't have worried), I had to force myself to finish reading it. I mention this only because I read the first half of the story several months ago and then finished the book.
Strengths
Writing. Characters. Story. All the things that made the previous stories great continue to shine in this one. The writing is strong and consistent, the characters come alive and we see more variation in their behaviors/likes/dislikes than previously, and instead of rehashing the same old "rescued kid" story, which I loved and love still, the author takes that to a new level and makes it more and by doing so makes all the characters become more than they were before as well.
Plot/resolution. I won't say anything to spoil, but I'm pleased with how things turned out. There is a happy ending, but it's not too perfect, either. Very fitting.
Overall, I love these stories and the writing. Highly enjoyable and free, what more can you ask for?
Weaknesses
While I'm not sure if this was any longer than the others, it felt longer, possibly because it combined two story lines in one. This one gets more political/social, which isn't a bad thing, but it does disrupt the relationship dynamics some only because it takes time away from just plain enjoying them.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
August 29, 2010
I have mixed feelings about this book. The previous two Slave Breaker books were great and I reccomend reading Lee's story also to wrap up the trilogy. I personally didn;t like the character Lee so took a long time reading this. I don't care for whiners and Lee was a terrible whined and so insecure that I did not identify with any of his character traits. The end of the book was great and werll worth plodding through the oceans of tears Lee was constant spilling. The characters from the previous books...Holden, Bran, Yves, Jer along with the rest were fully and well developed in this book. The love these people shared freely was intense. Lee just stuck in my craw.
April 21, 2010
I'm in the process of re-reading this one. My thanks to Kate for pointing out that I should have hung in there a little longer before I gave up on this book.
*Edited to add*
Okay, I am so glad Kate left a comment on my previous review and urged me to finish reading the book. This was a fantastic ending to the series. I just wish I'd been a little more patient when I read it the first time around.
*Edited to add*
Okay, I am so glad Kate left a comment on my previous review and urged me to finish reading the book. This was a fantastic ending to the series. I just wish I'd been a little more patient when I read it the first time around.
May 14, 2013
Loved this series. Needs some formatting, a little editing, but I can forgive that since the story is so good. Each book has been centered around a slave, but still kept on with the big overall story. I worried that I'd miss Bran. Not the case. I hope there will be more books. I'd like to see how everyone is doing, what the end results show for everyone. Big changes happen to everyone involved and it would be a shame to not continue on.
August 27, 2016
I am stunned by the quality of writing and story telling you can read for FREE. This series was amazing. While the characters were perfectly written they weren't perfect people and that was what made them so great. Like all people they were flawed and so real. There were sections where I was intensely angry to bawling my heart out. There is nothing I like more than a character driven story. This was a fantastic read recommend totally.
May 3, 2010
I hated for this series to end. It was such a wonderful story. I found myself missing the books as I read them. I wasn't able to do anthing else while I was reading them. It felt like missing a old friend or love one. You just had to pick the book back up to be sure they were still there. I hope the author continues to write stories. There is alot more that could be written about.
October 21, 2010
Half of this one about gutted me, the rest just left me with a stupid grin on my face. I fell so in love with the characters (all of them! And that almost never happens to me...) and didn't want it to end.
Also, I'm always saying I'm not a fan of m/m/f scenes and I usually avoid them, but, good Lord. Not the case with this one. Excellent series all the way around and this was a great closing.
Also, I'm always saying I'm not a fan of m/m/f scenes and I usually avoid them, but, good Lord. Not the case with this one. Excellent series all the way around and this was a great closing.
August 21, 2012
This story, like the others in this series, was excellent. In fact, I liked this one even more than the others. The characters exhibited so much growth and maturity in this one and the way the story played out to the conclusion was just right. It's hard to believe these books are free, they are just so good. Don't hestitate to read them.
October 21, 2010
Wow, these were such excellent stories. The characters are real, as are their reactions and their concerns. They're flawed, but not unintelligent or idiotic (mostly not idiotic). The situations and thought processes make sense. They learn and grow over the course of the series. Just wow.
September 18, 2012
The final story of this trilogy...damn, I'm sorry it had to end! This author roped me in from Chapter 1 of Bran's story and refused to let go. Very emotional ride and something I would have happily paid for. I hope this gets published soon!
October 6, 2012
I think I just fell in love with Jer!
Finally finished this one. It's much longer than the first 2 in the series. So glad I did. I LOVE these books now. All the characters have grown and evolved throughout the books in wonderful ways. If you're gonna read one. read them all!
Finally finished this one. It's much longer than the first 2 in the series. So glad I did. I LOVE these books now. All the characters have grown and evolved throughout the books in wonderful ways. If you're gonna read one. read them all!
April 15, 2013
Beautifully told. The best of the series.
All the characters have come such a long way.
And I think I'm in love with Yves!
All the characters have come such a long way.
And I think I'm in love with Yves!
March 5, 2010
This one includes some menage as well as the D/s themes.
February 21, 2022
I would echo most of the review that Onyx left below -- this book is truly a mixed bag. It seems like the author started out the series trying to write an erotic BDSM slavefic but then decided to inject social commentary and aim for pyschological realism — which, as Onyx noted, makes me a much harsher judge.
The strength of this book lies in the character development of Jer, and to a lesser extent, in the development of Lee. To see Lee — an acutely abused slave — find a sense of self, a voice, and true courage was beautiful. And to see how Jer — an older slave who has dealt with depression and been on the brink of suicide — struggle to find meaning in life and rebuild his sense of self-esteem after thirty years of sexual slavery was a deeply rich, emotionally honest, and heart-wrenching story. Jer is the only main character in this book who doesn't romanticize slavery and sees clearly how his life has been limited and shaped by this evil institution. His story was at the heart of the book, and his character and story touched me in a very deep way.
The exploration of the other slaves psyches was also well done — specifically seeing how slaves like Yves, Greta, Bran, and Inga see their lot in life and relate to the world was fascinating. Bran’s grief for his parents and his life as a free person was heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, the development of the other characters falls short. As Onyx noted, the characters of Holden and Alix (ex-slaves and current slave owners, slave dealers, slave trainers and retrainers) are treated as heroes of this story. They aren’t. Both admit to enjoy owning people. Both have profited off the dealing of slaves. Both are fundamentally insecure. Both have invoked great traumas and injustices on the slaves they owned. Yet the author treats them both as “good people” (somehow better than the other slave owners just because they are usually "kinder" to their slaves) and we are supposed to cheer them on as the heroes of this story as they finally admit that slavery — a disgusting and dehumanizing institution whose wrongs they themselves are intimately familiar with— is wrong. They should have been treated like the deeply flawed and imperfect characters they are (as other characters are, such as their daughter Valor) — not the heroes of the story.
The romanticization of the master/slave relationships between Alix/Greta, Holden/Yves, and especially Holden/Bran made me deeply uncomfortable. Holden and Alix have inflicted deep traumas on Greta and Yves (Holden violently raped Greta and Alix allowed it to happen leaving Greta with lasting psychological trauma, Holden used to beat and punch Yves as stress relief and refused to let Yves attend university despite his academic prowess) but these are all quickly brushed under the rug and we are supposed to believe that Greta and Yves truly love Alix and Holden and are willing to quickly forgive them for their sins. And just like the other commentator said — I never quite believed in the love story between Holden and Bran (it still reads like hero worship and Stockholm Syndrome to me on one side and feeling masculine and needed on the other) and the romanticization of them staying and living together made me very uncomfortable.
I give this book the stars mostly for Jer's (and to a lesser extent Lee's) story, which I found deeply emotionally moving and brought me to tears many times. If you can focus on this story and ignore the other parts, it would be worth the read. However, large parts of this book left me deeply uncomfortable (specifically hero worship of Holden and Alix and the romanticization of their relationships with their slaves), so I’m not sure I recommended it. There's a lot of heart and a lot of emotion, but also some things that made me uncomfortable.
The strength of this book lies in the character development of Jer, and to a lesser extent, in the development of Lee. To see Lee — an acutely abused slave — find a sense of self, a voice, and true courage was beautiful. And to see how Jer — an older slave who has dealt with depression and been on the brink of suicide — struggle to find meaning in life and rebuild his sense of self-esteem after thirty years of sexual slavery was a deeply rich, emotionally honest, and heart-wrenching story. Jer is the only main character in this book who doesn't romanticize slavery and sees clearly how his life has been limited and shaped by this evil institution. His story was at the heart of the book, and his character and story touched me in a very deep way.
The exploration of the other slaves psyches was also well done — specifically seeing how slaves like Yves, Greta, Bran, and Inga see their lot in life and relate to the world was fascinating. Bran’s grief for his parents and his life as a free person was heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, the development of the other characters falls short. As Onyx noted, the characters of Holden and Alix (ex-slaves and current slave owners, slave dealers, slave trainers and retrainers) are treated as heroes of this story. They aren’t. Both admit to enjoy owning people. Both have profited off the dealing of slaves. Both are fundamentally insecure. Both have invoked great traumas and injustices on the slaves they owned. Yet the author treats them both as “good people” (somehow better than the other slave owners just because they are usually "kinder" to their slaves) and we are supposed to cheer them on as the heroes of this story as they finally admit that slavery — a disgusting and dehumanizing institution whose wrongs they themselves are intimately familiar with— is wrong. They should have been treated like the deeply flawed and imperfect characters they are (as other characters are, such as their daughter Valor) — not the heroes of the story.
The romanticization of the master/slave relationships between Alix/Greta, Holden/Yves, and especially Holden/Bran made me deeply uncomfortable. Holden and Alix have inflicted deep traumas on Greta and Yves (Holden violently raped Greta and Alix allowed it to happen leaving Greta with lasting psychological trauma, Holden used to beat and punch Yves as stress relief and refused to let Yves attend university despite his academic prowess) but these are all quickly brushed under the rug and we are supposed to believe that Greta and Yves truly love Alix and Holden and are willing to quickly forgive them for their sins. And just like the other commentator said — I never quite believed in the love story between Holden and Bran (it still reads like hero worship and Stockholm Syndrome to me on one side and feeling masculine and needed on the other) and the romanticization of them staying and living together made me very uncomfortable.
I give this book the stars mostly for Jer's (and to a lesser extent Lee's) story, which I found deeply emotionally moving and brought me to tears many times. If you can focus on this story and ignore the other parts, it would be worth the read. However, large parts of this book left me deeply uncomfortable (specifically hero worship of Holden and Alix and the romanticization of their relationships with their slaves), so I’m not sure I recommended it. There's a lot of heart and a lot of emotion, but also some things that made me uncomfortable.
December 22, 2019
Good book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2023
a great ending for the slave breakers verse
July 26, 2019
An easy, simple, pleasant read.
December 5, 2012
In an Art class many moons ago we were asked to analyze the composition of paintings. I remember spending a lot of time looking at and dissecting one of Cezanne's paintings of oranges on a table. Given the parameters inherent in painting, it was truly a masterpiece. A painting of fruit is perhaps not the most exciting thing to look at, on the surface, but the craft and spirit of the painter shone VERY brightly.
I had a similar experience with this book, and the series as a whole.
I woke up this morning wondering about the story, and in particular, the topic of slavery as it is portrayed. Though the characters discuss and further the cause of abolition, the institution is still intact at the conclusion of the story. But what happens instead is that we see each character come to his or her own conclusion with it. In this way, a big topic is made personal and can be generalized to the reader. Masterful!
So I then started thinking about who were the actual slaves in the story and I realized everyone was, almost. Each character (and reader) is a slave to something, something which must be served, to which we make sacrifices, consciously or not. Something which is our master and controls our freedom. For instance ...
Back to Cezanne. Amazing in its construction and composition. The beauty of imagination and wonder of the spirit demonstrated by the artist floors me. It's unexpected ability to reach out and touch who I am, without having to suffer through and pay a psychotherapist is shocking.
With this series I feel like I've discovered a "master"piece in some roadside yard sale, a hitherto unknown Cezanne. This book was sitting in the "free" list on Goodreads. How did that happen?
When I look at art or choose a book I am usually looking for something emotional to draw me in, to make me swoon. Cezanne's oranges didn't really have that impact, and neither did this story have the romance I over-consume like candy. Bran's story had more tension and was more focused on sexual dynamics than Lee's Story. But that's okay. VERY okay. Who can complain when what usually makes your heart throb turns out to have a brain, too?
I had a similar experience with this book, and the series as a whole.
I woke up this morning wondering about the story, and in particular, the topic of slavery as it is portrayed. Though the characters discuss and further the cause of abolition, the institution is still intact at the conclusion of the story. But what happens instead is that we see each character come to his or her own conclusion with it. In this way, a big topic is made personal and can be generalized to the reader. Masterful!
So I then started thinking about who were the actual slaves in the story and I realized everyone was, almost. Each character (and reader) is a slave to something, something which must be served, to which we make sacrifices, consciously or not. Something which is our master and controls our freedom. For instance ...
Back to Cezanne. Amazing in its construction and composition. The beauty of imagination and wonder of the spirit demonstrated by the artist floors me. It's unexpected ability to reach out and touch who I am, without having to suffer through and pay a psychotherapist is shocking.
With this series I feel like I've discovered a "master"piece in some roadside yard sale, a hitherto unknown Cezanne. This book was sitting in the "free" list on Goodreads. How did that happen?
When I look at art or choose a book I am usually looking for something emotional to draw me in, to make me swoon. Cezanne's oranges didn't really have that impact, and neither did this story have the romance I over-consume like candy. Bran's story had more tension and was more focused on sexual dynamics than Lee's Story. But that's okay. VERY okay. Who can complain when what usually makes your heart throb turns out to have a brain, too?
September 1, 2016
Well, yes! That was - good, so good. I'm really happy I went on with this series. It was unfair of me to be impatient and expect from the first book to go all the way - when it needed three books for that. Right, it took Holden three books (and a huge amount of words - but strangely, the books don't *feel* terribly long at all) to finally realize that
February 19, 2017
Really enjoyed this. Wish the ending was a little more tighter though.
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