| Title | : | Spoils of War (Spoils of War, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781623005986 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 78 |
| Publication | : | First published October 18, 2010 |
Will Micah accept his noble birthright when they reach Alekia, and more importantly, can he accept Eli as the devoted slave his father has given him rather than the master he's come to love?
Note: This book was previous released under the same title by another publisher. It has been re-edited and revised in this version.
Spoils of War (Spoils of War, #1) Reviews
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Saving Micah, a state prisoner in the war between Alekia and Herra, means more than liberation.
One of Gregg's darker reads, for Micah has not just been held captive since he was a young child, but abused physically, psychologically and sexually. He has been compromised in every way possible and requires attentive care.
Eli, is the devoted soldier sent to rescue him. Though the Alekian court had been receiving updates as to Micah's condition, it is worse than they imagined. Thus, the primary focus after slavery is Micah's recovery.
The story is told exclusively from Micah's viewpoint. His acceptance, his fears, his desires are all experienced. Thankfully, the more egregious acts are told with less embellishment and somewhat clinically. Note that all sexual violence committed is done so after Micah comes of age.
Because Micah has spent his life as a drudge, he is simple--not stupid, but not educated. He has much to learn. I liked story, and while I was comforted by the epilogue in many ways I don't think it was necessary.
This story was revised and rereleased and there are some changes from the previous 2010 version. I am unable to consult the previous edition, but from my recollections the initial rape scenes have been mitigated and the epilogue gives closure to the couple's story.
Favorite quote:
My heart was so replete with my adoration for him I wondered that I didn’t burst.
~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for
Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~ -
4.5 stars, rounded up.
This is one of the best M/M books I've read. The beginning is powerful and haunting, the end profoundly satisfying, and the whole of the journey in between emotionally resonant and SCORCHING hot. I mean, seriously. HOT. The first time Micah and Eli made love, I was such a quivering puddle I could barely hold my Kindle.
Kari's prose is careful and evocative, her attention to detail superb. I mentioned in one of my status updates how Micah, after ten years of near-starvation, burns his mouth in his haste to gulp down a tasty beef broth. Those kinds of details are everywhere in this book, so real and grounding and concrete, and they make Kari's world a rich sensory experience that sucks you right in. Her word choice does the same--particularly in the sex scenes, her language has a slightly antiquated feel that lends authenticity to the historical setting without bogging you down or tripping you up. As a writer of M/M myself, I know how hard it can be to make certain parts of the male anatomy sound sexy, especially without getting repetitive, and I consider it a talent of the highest order that Kari was able to do so over and over again.
There were only two things about this book that detracted from the experience for me, one minor and the other even more minor. The minor one is Kari's habit of making a huge number of sentences their own paragraph. This is a stylistic choice, no doubt, and sometimes lends just the right pitch, emphasis, and cadence to a particular line. Most of the time, though, I found it to be a little jarring, breaking up the flow of the story and emphasizing lines that did not need or deserve it. I also thought there was exactly one too many sex scenes--the one that occurs about three quarters of the way through, the night Micah and Eli reach their homeland. While still scorching hot, it was the only sex scene in the book that--to me, anyway--did nothing to advance the characters or the plot. And since I was so eager to see how both would advance, I found myself wishing that one scene hadn't bee there. Those two minor quibbles are the only reason this one's a 4.5 read for me instead of a 5, and I still loved it so much that I rounded up instead of down.
After reading Spoils of War, I can comfortably say that anything Kari Gregg ever writes will definitely zoom right to the top of my TBR pile from now on. Spoils of War should zoom right to the top of yours, too. It was THAT good, THAT hot, THAT satisfying in all the right ways. -
3.5 Stars
Kari Gregg’s Spoils of War tells a story of power and war over land, people, body, heart, and soul. While two kings battle for rule, a young lord is taken from his home as a threat to other lands and rulers—“see what I will do to your sons”. Young Micah is forced into a life of whoring and servitude under King Xerxes. After years of torture, beatings, and rape, Micah retreats into himself serving and surviving with silence and meekness. It became his world. “I knew nothing else”—that line overwhelmed me with such sadness and fear. We will often stay and keep moving in a world of pain and ugliness unable to see a way out past the fear of punishment or the unknown. Micah’s life was spent locked away within the castle walls filled with pain and terror until…..Eli.
Eli swoops in under the cover of night to pull Micah out and back to his homeland. With patience and care, Eli teaches Micah to open up to passion and pleasure again. Ms. Gregg captured and developed the emotions and bond between these men with such desire, tenderness, and dashes of humor. By the end of the trek, readers will see Micah’s personality come out to play in sighs, glares, and touches. I don’t want to spoil Eli’s impact for readers by saying too much here. Just know this beautiful man’s strength, patience, hope, and love stuck with me long after finishing this story.
”How frightening to be so enraptured, so enslaved by the pleasure he wrought in me. It must be a wicked indulgence, a sinful thing, but my body belonged to him, to do with as he willed.”
Eli and Micah’s journey home was emotional and cathartic, but I also longed for more time outside the tent and bed, haha….. I wanted to feel the tension crossing enemy territory or see the land’s character and colors on the page. But that’s me—greedy as all hell—wanting action in the bed and out! ;) The land’s power, peace, and grace would have added a beautiful layer to this journey back from such a brutal and ugly time though. Rivers and grasslands were mentioned, but just not brought to life for me. But the world did feel safe and warm in Eli’s arms though, which filled my heart with love and hope for Micah’s future.
A strong story that reminded me love can claim, embrace, and ground us with a warm sense of belonging, but also set us free.
This was my first Kari Gregg tale, but certainly not my last. “Dizzy wonder” was my favorite Gregg description here, but I’m looking forward to finding more to admire and enjoy.
Thank you, Ilhem for introducing me to Kari Gregg and Eli with your lovely words and review. :) -
3.5 stars
Micah is kidnapped when he is 8 years old and he suffers the life of slavery. Then when he is 18-years-old, he is made into a slave AND a whore, raped by a King and passed into freemen who become his masters. All the while he is deep into silent, not saying a word. Until he is saved by a man named Eli ... The beginning is very good. A promise of a story that will break my heart. Micah is one loveable character, one who is not succumb to the life as slave. When he meets Eli, whom Micah perceives as another Master, and slowly he begins to feel attached to the older man, even willing to learn to speak just to keep Eli with him, it touches me.
BUT STILL, there are a lot of sex scenes which just turn me off. As I keep pressing next and next on my Kindle, just to skip pass it. It will be a whole lot better for me, if the story focuses on how to "heal" Micah in other way than sex ... -
“These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized.”
Red – The Shawshank Redemption
Although I regretted a few shortenings and I would have liked it to be exploited in something bigger, Spoils of War is an erotic romance which manages to tell much in a very short story.
Micah is captured when he is only a young boy. He is a war tribute and is enslaved. His life freezes in obedience; he exists only to please his masters, not only condemned to be a perpetual abused and molested child but also whoring himself to their pleasure.
The book begins with an odd mechanical voice and the detachment with which Micah speaks of his ten years of captivity twisted my guts with pity as much as the list of his abuses.
And then comes Eli who snatches him from his masters and kidnaps him in a journey toward safety.
I was just telling myself that the 1st person POV and his odd voice kept me at distance in this part of the story when Kari Gregg reminded me that it was an erotic romance! Did I lose any critical faculty!!
The sex scenes were scorching hot and sweet at the same time while Micah was learning to want, to feel and to love, and while I feared that he would at best become a beloved puppy, Micah only feared to lose his master.
The author manages to avoid the easy route of a miraculous healing thanks to love and sex, though. Can Micah even fully heal?
Eli is not a wizard and Micah is damaged : Spoils of War is the story of two people playing with the very bad set of cards they’ve been dealt.
“ I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
Red – The Shawshank Redemption -
This was a dark read, slightly disturbing at the beginning but ending up as a sweet romance. Micah’s ignorance of who he actually is and what he goes through in his adolescent years is extremely sad. It was made all the better when he was finally rescued by Eli and I was a little shocked when it came to the little twist at the end with Micah actually being Eli’s master.
I really enjoyed this book, however, I would have liked to have read more about Micah’s homecoming. How he finally meets his father after over a decade of being held hostage, how he copes with the knowledge he’s Eli’s master and whether he recuperates from being mute for so long. As it is, I felt the book was incomplete. I’m hoping there will be a sequel so we can find out all about Micah’s new life in Alekia and if he has been able to settle in nicely. Nevertheless, I still recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a good, dark, short story about a broken boy and how he finally returns home.
For spoilers go
here. -
Excited to read this. -
Micah, son of the King of Alekia is kidnapped during the plundering of his home country as a way of controlling his family and kingdom. The ten years he is held hostage by the King of Xerxes is a time of pain, despair and hell for Micah, until one day he is rescued and must face a man and a world he knows nothing of.
This was a very hard book to review; It was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for me. I changed my mind constantly.
I was intrigued by Eli when he was introduced (he was a wonderful knight in shining armour), yet didn’t warm to him as much I was expecting to when his part in the story began. I didn't like his amusement at Micah’s come-ons. He seemed to understand him so well, at times it felt like he could read his mind, yet he found it amusing that Micah was offering himself to him right after meeting him because Micah believed it was expected of him? I expected him to be more solemn about Micah's past, especially since he’d been sent by Micah’s father, and knew very well of Micah’s background.
I also didn’t enjoy the fact that the first time they had sex was the second Eli finished telling Micah about hearing about his being raped by the King of Xerxes and passed around to his men - It practically felt like it was foreplay to him and he didn't care at all. Maybe it didn’t mean anything to Micah, since that was all he was used to, but it should have sounded like it mattered to Eli.
As far as Micah's character, Micah may have been physically weak as a result of his starvation and abuse (when he spoke about his growth being stunted I couldn’t help but wonder what he would have been like if he hadn’t been taken, not only phisically but personality wise) but the way he accepted his fate, yet wasn’t broken by it, made him incredibly strong and endearingly brave.
With my (unfavourable) impression of Eli up until this moment, I found that I actually enjoyed the beginning of the story more than the middle, this surprised me since it was the part that depicted Micah’s suffering. That was obviously not what I enjoyed, rather it was Kari Gregg’s writing and how she managed in so few pages to put across what Micah was going through.
I kept thinking that the story would have benefited from more length; it had so much potential and the author’s talent is obvious, why make it into a short story? Until it got explained, Micah and Eli’s relationship seemed forced, one day Micah is being rescued, the next they're having sex. And I was supposed to believe that the reason for it was that the King wanted Eli to have sex with the son he knew had been raped repeatedly by his enemies since the night he turned eighteen?
The fact that it was in the first person did add depth to the story, it allowed the reader to understand Micah better. However, as spoiled as I am to shifting POV between the main characters I did find myself wishing for Eli’s thoughts. Micah is the focal point of the story but I also wanted to know Eli’s feelings, what did he think of Micah’s past? Was he as self-assured as he appeared? Maybe I would have understood his motives better if I had been in his head even once.
As the book progressed, I found myself looking at Micah and Eli’s relationship differently, the true foundation of what they are to each other shakes Micah to the core and allowed me to understand Eli's motivations a lot better, thus the 4 star review. Theirs is a complicated one, but by the end of the book I couldn't doubt their love for each other one bit. Even though I'm still angry at how Eli dealt with Micah at the beginning. -
Spoils of War is 100% what not so long ago people defined a savage romance, or, a bodice ripper. But actually to Micah it goes even worst than the heroines of those old fashioned romances, since if they were raped, it was only at the hands of who will become their chosen hero; unfortunately here Micah, the kidnapped son of a king is continuously raped by his captors for almost a year before Eli, his rescuer, can free him.
Micah, kidnapped at 8 years old and traumatized by the death of his own mother, has for sure suffered from a trauma that blocked his mental growth, he is more a boy than an adult man; and being deprived of food and care, also his body didn’t grow as expected, and he is small and fragile.
Since he has never known anything else, Micah consider sex like an ordinary way to prove attachment; when Eli freed him, Micah identifies in the man his new master, and of course he has to prove to his master that he is worthy. On the contrary of what most reader will expect, Eli is more than willing to have sex with Micah, but for the first time, it’s Micah receiving pleasure. Eli dotes on Micah like he is a precious treasure, bathing him, feeding him, and giving him pleasure. Micah is “allowed” to receive such pleasure, but Eli stubbornly refuses to let Micah do any sexual act that would bring sexual relief to Eli without it being shared between them.
While I really felt uncomfortable with the first part of the story, when Micah is a sex slave for his captor, I started to enjoy the story reading of the bond that was slowly but steadily growing between Micah and Eli, above all, even if Eli is for sure stronger than Micah, he never once imposes himself on the boy, letting Micah grows confident of his sexuality at his own pace. I don’t think Micah will ever overcome his trauma, and I think he will always be more a boy than a man, but at least now he knows there are people who care for him, and that he is safe and cared for.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/160592184X/?... -
Another 4.5 read. I'm not much for half stars but sometimes I really want to rate something with a 5 even when it doesn't necessarily live up to all my expectations what a 5 star read should be like. Before everything else, this story is hot! Like squirm in your seat and sit on your hands hot! The characters are wonderful and the whole severity of the situation really had me devouring every word.
It would have been great if the story was longer and if they talked more. I found that I missed that a lot. The verbal contact between them, even without Micah actually speaking, just the conversation and maybe a few more explanations would have done wonders. This way it all seemed a bit abrupt at the end and it stole from the story.
It is a book I would recommend, but if you are anything like me, you will need another book right after, preferably in the same tone. Maybe some Gladiators? -
Well, I couldn’t care less about the characters, and there wasn’t even much of plot. Micah’s character was too passive, his insistence on his beautiful blond hair, but ugly dark hair made him also superficial. Eli seemed more like a nurse than a lover! There was no chemistry between them, I honestly was just expecting Eli to fetch him home and not lay a hand on him, the relationship between them was boring no matter how much they tried! Besides, the name Xerxes made me laugh, I’m really not that into using historical names in fantasy books that are not related to the real historical events.
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Thank God for understatement! I had avoided this book fearing a brutal start, and yes, it was, but the detached narration of the events made it much easier to wade through. Of course, it mimics Micah's own emotional detachment and it is his struggle to break out of his self imposed prison after freed from his shackles by Eli that make the story interesting. Eli's tender care and the sweet developing relationship between the two is the delicious icing on this cake.
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There are some books that are not nice to read, in the sense that they are neither relaxing nor entertaining. This is one of them for me. The story, however, is one that is well worth reading if you are interested in the way humans deal with adversity and a negation of who they are. Unfortunately, we have had quite a few examples in our history where one group of people thought themselves superior (for whatever reason) and attempted to destroy those they fond objectionable. Reading the facts and figures in the history books and attempting to comprehend the horror of it is one thing; it will certainly give you the big picture. However, if you want to fully understand the sheer human horror of the group being "eradicated" (for whatever reason), you have to break it down to the level of one person. One man's misery we can comprehend more easily, because often it is more real to us, than the misery of an entire group of people. If you think you can bear to read this story, set far back in history, I believe it is well worth it. Just be warned, it is not an easy read!
Micah is the boy whose development we follow. He is torn from his mother's side when he is eight and enslaved by the enemy king of Herra. Mistreated and beaten over years, denied his name and any sort of decent food, he grows up into a man only to be raped by the king on his eighteenth birthday, then passed along the officers and noblemen as a "bed warmer". The only way he can deal with it is to cut off his emotions, and over the years, he learns to accept his fate to the point that he rebels when he is finally freed. He cannot comprehend freedom, nor does he want to be without a master. How can he? He's never learned how.
Eli is the man who infiltrates Herran defenses and pulls Micah from his miserable existence. At first he has no idea how to cope with Micah's need to see him as his new master, but during their trip to freedom they begin to develop a relationship that allows Micah to get what he wants without having to accept the scary idea that he is now free. Eli's devotion to Micah and his unending patience when teaching him new things is heart-wrenching and I loved watching them come to terms with who each of them are. Theirs is a unique relationship based on mutual need and, eventually, love.
If you're ready to read the harrowing tale of one man who lives through hell only to discover there is a life for him outside the walls of the kitchen he's been kept prisoner in for over ten years, if you want to find out how it is possible to cope with the sheer horror, and if you're looking for a story that will make you think, and cry, and sigh with relief at the end of it all, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on
Rainbow Book Reviews. -
The beginning of the book is really sad. I think it was difficult to portray the abuse and the violence Micah endured so matter-of-factly. I think that's the way it was because Micah never knew anything else since he was a child. I must confess that I didn't hope in a better life for the narrator at one point, because when one finds comfort in the abuse, because at least it's known, what's to save? What will be the path to salvation, what the cost?
Eli is the light of the book. The way he takes care of Micah, anticipating his every need, never dismissing a gesture or an expression is heartbreaking. Eli rescues Micah and he rescues the young man whole: in mind, in body and in spirit. Given the beginning of the book, I didn't think it was possible, but it happens.
The book is short and I wish the twist at the end had been given more space. Micah's reaction to it was so tender that I wish I could have basked in its afterglow for a little longer. The story is mainly focused on the romance, but I wish there was more world building to understand a little bit betterthe reasons why Micah was kept as a slave in that way. I felt it was hinted at and maybe someone more English-savvy than me caught it better, but this is the main reason of my rating. If there was a flame rating for hotness, 5 wouldn't be enough. -
I'm giving this a 4.5 rounded up to 5.
I won this book in a competition and was very glad I did.
Kari has a wonderfully fluid style of writing. Unlike another reviewer, I actually liked the way she broke up the flow with the single sentence paragraphs. I felt they suited the simple way of thinking of a captive deprived of communication.
Her world building was good and I could picture each scene.
Given the short time frame the book covered, not much further emotional development could probably be done and still keep the premise feasible. Sensory deprivation and abuse like that would take years not weeks or days to heal. The sex was hot, very hot, but by the end I was looking for something more. Even though sex had been all the young boy had known for so long, it would have been interesting getting some inkling as to how he would be shown by Eli that there was more to life, more to him than that.
A minor quibble in an otherwise excellent book. -
LOVE IT! Fantastic story so far. Completely captivating opening chapter - I've seldom read one like it. Sets a distinct tone. Oh my the romance....there is lots of sex but it never comes off as heavy handed to me. I really liked it - Micah and Eli stole my heart with tenderness. Main theme: resilience of the human spirit. You'll love it!
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Sexy short story
Well written and edited. Tragic tale of a young prince who is kidnapped by a neighboring kingdom and kept at a slave and leverage. This is his tale of rescue, redemption, and love. Beware, non-con. Recommended. -
After reading the blurb about this book, I was a little skeptical – it was definitely something that was a little out of my comfort zone. At the same time, it seemed to build up a great story, so I stepped out my happy little box and gave this one a read.
I actually read Spoils of War twice, just to make sure I didn’t miss something. I didn’t. I think this book would have been better suited to be a full-blown novel, rather than a novella. There was so much potential for a great plot to be developed, but it never quite got to that point for me.
I loved that the story was told in the first person. It allowed me to empathize with Micah, the main character. As a slave in the kingdom of Herra, Micah is both a kitchen slave and essentially the palace whore. He is at the nightly beck and call of his assorted “masters,” and this greatly shapes the events and relationships that unfold later in the story.
Once Micah is rescued from Herra by Eli, the story starts to move along a little more quickly. Micah assumes that he is meant to serve Eli, when in reality, it is the other way around. Eli teaches Micah all about the pleasures that he had been forbidden before. The sex in this book is all kinds of hot and sweaty and fantastic. I’d like to say that I’d like to see more of it, but it basically consumed the second half of the novella. And it never stopped being well written and just graphic enough. Micah, though still unsure about his new role, revels in the pleasure he receives from Eli.
Despite all of this, Micah never quite manages to come out of his shell. He’s had an exceptionally hard life - beaten because he was a slave, and raped nightly because he reminded the Herrans of a woman. Realistically, Micah needs years and years of therapy before he’ll be comfortable around other people, but, as quickly as the rest of this story moves, I really felt like Micah could have healed a little faster.
There is one thing that you should be aware of if you choose to read this book: There’s rape. Mostly it’s just alluded to, as a way to make the reader aware of what exactly shapes Micah’s background. There is one scene that gets a little bit more graphic, but not over the top. It certainly didn’t make me uncomfortable, if anything, it made me feel more deeply for Micah.
Overall, I was kind of indifferent towards this story. I think that so much more could have been done with it – the characters could have developed a little more, and there could have been a little more of an informational back story. Since it’s told in first person, it’s really easy to see the world through Micah’s eyes in the beginning, but that kind of dies off once Eli comes into the picture. I still felt like I was in Micah’s head, but as a reader, it would have helped to have some insight into what the other characters were thinking too. At the end, everything gets wrapped up very neatly in a nice, happy, sex-filled package (pun intended).
Addendum: I have just discovered that a sequel to "Spoils of War" is in the works. I think that's fantastic, and I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm hoping that it will expand on some of the things that I thought were missing in this one.
--Laura, The One Hundred Romances Project -
This was an interesting read with some things I really liked very much and some that didn't work so well for me.
What I think was really great about the character of Micah, the abducted prince, was how he kept his "slave mindset" after being freed. The sudden freedom didn't magically change who he felt he was after a decade of slavery and abuse. He still acted like nothing much has changed for him except his environment, his master and the way he was treated by him. This made Miacah a believable and likable character and added some rather heartbreaking moments.
The little revelation towards the end of the story was well done, too, although maybe I was the only one who didn't see that one coming. ;)
I sometimes stumbled over the occasional use of short or fragmented sentences but mostly it added intensity to the scenes.
What didn't work well with me and is the reason I couldn't give a higher rating was the amount of sex in those few pages. That's, of course, a question of taste. The sex was hot and varied and actually served a purpose or two, which were quite important to the characters in one way or the other. Still, I'd have prefered more character and plot development instead, especially with Eli. -
2.5
Okay I'm just going to jump right into this review.
It wasn't a bad book. Well it was, just not that bad. It wasn't painful or anything to read.
It's just a lot of things niggled me.
At the beginning he was imprisoned and the things that were described like the slavery, bad treatment, rape. It sounded all very horrible. Well if I actually looked at the words it was pretty damn horrible to read. But it didn't actually make me feel anything inside. It didn't feel real to me, so I didn't feel any pity, horror, disgust or anything.
Maybe I'm just a cold-hearted bitch. But really, I should feel something shouldn't I?
And honestly, considering Micah is a man who was held captive for -so and so- years, and sexually abused for about 2 of them, Eli sure did fuck him fast.
And for a lot of the book too.
It was literally just un-sexy sex page after page after page.
But over all I did think there were some good parts to the story, and some scenes were quite sweet.
It's not a horrible book, and I wouldn't advise you away from it, just that there are books I've enjoyed more. -
I've had this book forever, but somehow never got around to reading it. I think, in part, because I wasn't sure how much I'd really enjoy it. I loved it! It was a lot of sex, yes, but sex that showed something about the characters and/or was necessary to move the story forward. So while there was lots of sex, none of it felt gratuitous (not that there's anything wrong with that, especially if I'm the one having it!).
As soon as I finished it, I went to the author's web site in search of a sequel. This was reasonably complete unto itself - no cliff-hanger ending - but it sure left me wanting more, to see how Micah settles into his new life. Unfortunately, it looks like although a sequel is planned, there's no time-frame for when it might be available. Still, I suspect this is one of those books that I won't have forgotten about even if the sequel takes a while. No matter how long it takes for the sequel to come out, I will gladly grab and devour it. -
Well, that was different. And hot. And descriptive. And hot. Micah might be the sweetest, saddest little thing I've ever read. He had my heart from the get go. Him uttering "Puh-la-ee-ss Eli" just about broke my heart in two. Enjoyable quick little read with two great MCs.
-
It's hard to believe there are only 69 pages in this book, it felt like a lot more and there was a lot packed in. Great little story, hot sex and very likeable characters. I'm eager to read the next book now.
-
I enjoyed the story but didn't feel all the drama I read others felt. Yes, he had a shit life, for sure but the entire book seemed like one big sex scene. Not bad or anything, just not real painful. Super sweet ending.
-
This one leaves a ton of questions unanswered and was way too short.
Loved the character voice and was constantly puzzled how something so plotless could keep me so glued to the page. Sometimes bleak, sometimes sugar shock inducing, it manages to keep the balance and me reading. -
Kinda dark read but I'm really not seeing all the drama that the other reviews talked about. Yeah Micah was a slave & prisoner with a total shitty life but that's to be expected when your a war prisoner.
-
Just an okay book, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 7/10
PROS:
- The basic storyline here--abused man is rescued and then cherished by a warrior-savior--is one that I adore on the whole, and Gregg does it quite well. Eli is nurturing and protective without coming across (to me, anyway) as too patronizing.
- The author does a great job of examining Micah’s mind on multiple levels, especially given how short the story is. The emotional effects of his enslavement are explored in rather minute detail.
- As unhappy as I was reading about the harsh treatment Micah endures at the beginning of the story, I was intrigued immediately by the reason he was set apart from his fellow slaves. The differences in his torture and theirs captured me and kept me interested.
- There’s a lot of sex in the book--easily fifty percent--and it’s of the animalistic-yet-sweet variety.
CONS:
- There’s not a lot going on in this story. It has a simple plot with a single twist at the end that I saw coming far in advance, a relationship that turns into love very quickly, and not much conversation.
- The tone of the writing, for the most part, is matter-of-fact and rather brutal. I liked it overall and thought that it fit the story well. Occasionally, though, the author slips in an archaic phrase, like “Whether I wanted it or nay,” that seems to be at odds with the contemporary feel of the rest of the writing.
Overall comments: This is a little over-the-top in the exaggerated nature of the characters (one is tiny, the other is huge; one is basically mute, the other can practically read his mind; etc.), but I still enjoyed it very much. Is it brilliant? No. But I found it to be a guilty pleasure nonetheless. I might even buy it in paperback. -
I've heard good things about this author, so I was looking forward to reading something written by her. I probably shouldn't have chosen this particular book as a start. I find that novellas and short stories aren't things a lot of authors are comfortable with writing, and this is something I found to be true with this particular book.
The problem, mainly, is that the story could have gone much further than the author had touched upon. It has a lot of potential, as a full length novel. The world she's created is promising, the two lands and their war intriguing. There was so much that the author touched upon that got me excited about reading further, then disappointed me when I reached the end.
I'll admit, I'm a fan of stories with a lot of background, with lots of details about the time period, the world, the country, the politics and the history of it. So when the author hinted at all those things but didn't deliver, it left me... a little disgruntled.
Still, I would have said this was a solid three star book... did it not touch on some of my pet peeves. I know no author is perfect, and it's difficult to hold the right tone for what is essentially a period piece. But I was too often jarred out of my reading by a modern turn-of-phrase or colloquialism. Not only that, but the sex scenes were described using the traditional "historical romance novel" terminology that frankly has always, ALWAYS turned me off. And while the use of first person narrative was interesting due to the particular case of the main character, it was a little limiting.
Still, it's a decent book and worth a try if only for the author's outstanding characters. The main character especially is compelling and interesting. I'll definitely try this author out again. -
I was surprised by how much i loved this book. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Given what I knew the subject matter was in the beginning, I was not anticipating such a sweet and hopeful book.
Micah was a fantastic narrator, I loved being in his head. I am amazed that he was able to endure the things that he did not only without turning bitter or hateful, but capable of so much love and hope and trust and innocence and delight with the world. He quite possibly may be my new favorite 1st person narrator of all time.
And Eli! Another reviewer said that everyone should have an Eli and I couldn't agree more!
And the two of them together were HOT! I mean dayum!
Loved this so much! It'll be one I'll reread over and over (the after-the-rescue parts anyway...). -
There's no holding back in Ms. Gregg's storytelling. We dive right into slavery, cruelty, beatings and rape. The first two chapters, I was outraged and wanted to kill the bastards. When I finally learn the poor boy's name, I melted a little. Micah is a lovely name which I adore. Then Eli rides in to save the day.
I really enjoyed this story. It was romantic and so sweet, the love between Eli and Micah. I easily read this in one sitting in roughly 30 minutes. From the very first page I was entranced and didn't move until I finished the book.
Ms. Gregg definitely knows how to write a good story. She captivated me with the poor boy Micah. I hurt for him. I loved Eli, the knight in shining armor. I wonder if there is another book detailing more about this world. If so, I want to read it. This is my second book from Ms. Gregg. She's now on my list of must buy.
