What do you think?
Rate this book
Sentinel
Eben, a portly but beautiful slave, is bought by Sebastian, a retired General known for his cruelty and monstrous ways. In the midst of a revolution they find in one another a deep love that knows no boundaries.
Status: Complete
Word count: approx. 105,007
Status: Complete
Word count: approx. 105,007
online fiction
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 24, 2011
A retelling of beauty and the beast (a bit obvious, with the book popping up throughout the story)with m/m BDSM-lite.
Not enough sex and too much insta-love for me. The characterisation is spotty. As another reviewer pointed out, the reaction of the slave is not believable; he was about to be sold for meat (as in, to be eaten!) before catching the slave-owner's eye, so why is he throwing a hissy fit about being asked not to eavesdrop while his owner talks business, rips up his feather-filled silk pillows etc. We never establish that the cruel slave owner is cruel; all his staff say he's a great guy, and although he does buy a slave it's clearly a slave-owning culture, and he gives the slave shoes, silk clothes, pillows, a pet, run of the library etc. The slave owner vascillates about his desire to possively own/share/rape/ignore/pamper his slave, with no explanation of why the owner swings from rape to "restraining his lust". This also makes the story difficult to pin down for a target reader; the plot runs from rape scenes which are way too harsh for a teen read, to sweet-tender-caring-sugar-kisses which is far too fluffy and fairy-tale for a reader wanting some hardcore smut.
The story also suffered from a lack of editing and/or beta reading: when an innocent man is executed for embezzlement he is described as "an escape goat", and there are many more similar language errors. Beta-reading would also have helped with consistency: it is unclear if this is supposed to be a historical setting, alternate reality, or potential future. I got confused by the riding crop with the whippy fibreglass core, but there are castles, princes etc.
Although it was a nice idea to have a story with a "portly" slave boy MC, and there's a set-up for a rightful-heir-switched-at-birth plotline for part 2, this story just doesn't deliver. The standard of free-reads can be astronomically high (better than published books) and that just makes it difficult to keep ploughing through Sentinel.
Not enough sex and too much insta-love for me. The characterisation is spotty. As another reviewer pointed out, the reaction of the slave is not believable; he was about to be sold for meat (as in, to be eaten!) before catching the slave-owner's eye, so why is he throwing a hissy fit about being asked not to eavesdrop while his owner talks business, rips up his feather-filled silk pillows etc. We never establish that the cruel slave owner is cruel; all his staff say he's a great guy, and although he does buy a slave it's clearly a slave-owning culture, and he gives the slave shoes, silk clothes, pillows, a pet, run of the library etc. The slave owner vascillates about his desire to possively own/share/rape/ignore/pamper his slave, with no explanation of why the owner swings from rape to "restraining his lust". This also makes the story difficult to pin down for a target reader; the plot runs from rape scenes which are way too harsh for a teen read, to sweet-tender-caring-sugar-kisses which is far too fluffy and fairy-tale for a reader wanting some hardcore smut.
The story also suffered from a lack of editing and/or beta reading: when an innocent man is executed for embezzlement he is described as "an escape goat", and there are many more similar language errors. Beta-reading would also have helped with consistency: it is unclear if this is supposed to be a historical setting, alternate reality, or potential future. I got confused by the riding crop with the whippy fibreglass core, but there are castles, princes etc.
Although it was a nice idea to have a story with a "portly" slave boy MC, and there's a set-up for a rightful-heir-switched-at-birth plotline for part 2, this story just doesn't deliver. The standard of free-reads can be astronomically high (better than published books) and that just makes it difficult to keep ploughing through Sentinel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2014
I have to admit to being very fond of this novel. Sure, there are some careless spelling and grammatical errors in the finished piece but it's free on fictionpress and was originally posted chapter to chapter and there are not so many that you can't focus on the story line and characters. Though a revised, cleaner edited version would certainly be welcome.
Nonetheless, the story approached a favorite of mine when it touched on BDSM with the whole Master/slave bit and then went the more '80s route of romance writing where the heroine (or, in this case, second hero) was raped repeatedly until it was loving. Hardcore when put like that, I know, but Sheepie melds it into something not quite as horrid. In fact, the way the story went when it came to that bit reminded me of older Johanna Lindsey novels (A Pirate's Love, Defy Not the Heart, etc) which made it feel less violent and more... oddly romantic? Definitely not for the faint of heart anyway.
I like the character progression. I like how Eben is not easily swayed and doesn't fall into obedience immediately. His reactions to things seem like normal, human reactions that aren't too morose or over the top. Bad things happen in this book both to him and his Master and these things are approached and not ghosted over without being overly lengthy or boring.
All in all, I'd say it's not a read for everyone but it was definitely an enjoyable one for me. Plus it's free... you can't argue with free! ^__^
Nonetheless, the story approached a favorite of mine when it touched on BDSM with the whole Master/slave bit and then went the more '80s route of romance writing where the heroine (or, in this case, second hero) was raped repeatedly until it was loving. Hardcore when put like that, I know, but Sheepie melds it into something not quite as horrid. In fact, the way the story went when it came to that bit reminded me of older Johanna Lindsey novels (A Pirate's Love, Defy Not the Heart, etc) which made it feel less violent and more... oddly romantic? Definitely not for the faint of heart anyway.
I like the character progression. I like how Eben is not easily swayed and doesn't fall into obedience immediately. His reactions to things seem like normal, human reactions that aren't too morose or over the top. Bad things happen in this book both to him and his Master and these things are approached and not ghosted over without being overly lengthy or boring.
All in all, I'd say it's not a read for everyone but it was definitely an enjoyable one for me. Plus it's free... you can't argue with free! ^__^
May 27, 2011
"Sebastian was really going to spank him?"
So...you are a slave that was going to be killed and now you fear for a spanking?!??!?
So...you are a slave that was going to be killed and now you fear for a spanking?!??!?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews