The Inheritor (The Marketplace, #6) by Laura Antoniou

The Inheritor (The Marketplace, #6) Reviews

• 
  Danny Tyran

  I just finished reading 2 times in a row the series "The Marketplace" by Laura Antoniou. I had already read it twice in the past. Once in its paper version. My first 3 books are in the black cover edition (Rhinoceros Publications), my 4th and 5th books are in the grey cover edition (Mystic Rose Books) and the last volume has the library in the background on the cover (Circlet Press).
  
  I had already read the entire series once, plus a few more times for my favorites. That makes it a record of re-readings for me. I usually don't reread anything, because I either didn't like a book enough to do that, or I loved it so much that I remember it too well to really enjoy it again. So this "orgy" of rereading is really exceptional. That's how good this series is to me. Chris is a very special character and I love him! And I am very much looking forward to the sequel, even though I am very much afraid of it.
  
  Why? Because there are so many things that could go wrong in the next book:
  - Will Elizabeth tell everything Chris told her at the end of book 6? And will both of her fathers be angry with Chris? What if only Noach is so angry with him that it creates a rift between him and Ron?
  - Will Calvin be shunned by Chris? If so, since he can't go back to Margareth Perlmutter, will he go back to Geoff Negel? What will they decide to do together: try to taint Chris' reputation to benefit the Negel's line?
  - And will Nigel, the scumbag paparazzi, try to make a fortune by leaking that the "Prince of Trainers" told a 17-year-old girl about the slave trading ring he has been obsessed with for far too long?
  - Will Chris also be condemned for his "alliance" with Spiro?
  - Chris knows very well that business = money, and as he said himself, it comes down to "inheritance, industry, investment, and illegality". So what exactly are El Anakados and Aiden Connelly going to do: join forces with Max Bloom?
  - Didn't Chris know, when he talked to Elizabeth in front of Calvin, that he was preparing his own downfall? Will he be happy to declare his failure with his line and hand it over to Tetsuo Sakai to return to his former Japanese master? Weren't the graphs and charts studied by Tetsuo Sakai and Chris to learn more about Anderson's lineage and all the work of her trainers actually the work of Anderson (perhaps via Jiro Abe)?
  - Then will Sakai accept someone (Chris) who has failed so obviously and miserably in his noble task to take charge of his line? Didn't Sakai tell Chris over and over that he was not a samurai? And didn't he say "never again" to Chris about being his slave? What then will Chris do with his tantō: seppuku (hara-kiri)? Wasn't this razor-sharp blade given to him only for this purpose?
  
  Imala Anderson told Chris, "Those closest to the heart are the most convenient for wounding". Was she planning to hurt him more than ever after her death by spending a week in Japan with Sakai? She certainly didn't go spend a week visiting Japan with Tetsuo. That's not her hermit way.
  
  There are so many things that could go wrong in the next volume. And yet, I love Chris so much, I would like nothing less than a happily ever after for him, because he deserves it so much!
  
  -----------------------------------------------
  Previous review :
  Laura is better from book to book. This one allowed us to catch up with our good old friends (her previous books’ characters) and discover some interesting new ones too.
  
  I totally love Ms. Antoniou's vision of Domination/submission. It’s more focused on duty, honor and service than on eroticism, although, having erotica in its keywords, there are sex in this novel as in the previous ones.
  
  I particularly liked the interaction between Chris and his Japanese master Tetsuo Sakai. And I loved the way “Mr. Parker” took control of his trainer of trainers lineage.
  
  This book made me think about many important things, cry, laugh and feel a lot of other emotions.
  
  Robin? Is she not delectable? I'd buy her. ;)
  
  
  Laura lets us foresee a sequel. I hope so much that there will be soon a book 7 in the Marketplace series !!! In the meantime, I will read it all over again.
  
  The only wrong note is that there are many typos. By the way, in French, the female form of "my little kitten" is "ma petite chatte", NOT "ma petite chat". There are other mistakes in the French sentences. Maybe Ms. Antoniou should find a beta... reader, of course, or a slave-editor. ;) But the book is so great that I chose not to "punish" her, so I didn't remove one star.
  
  I strongly encourage you to read this novel, but first start with the previous ones, otherwise you would not live as intensely all the emotions triggered by this story.
• 
  Effie

  Laura Antoniou has done it again! As if The Marketplace series is not enthralling enough, she gives us The Inheritor, the sixth book in the series, and she shatters the boundaries of the imaginary bar to which authors so vehemently aspire.
  
  The Inheritor brings the characters from the rest of The Marketplace books together so we, the readers, can glimpse the paths their lives have taken, whether they are in service or are providing those who serve. The book is necessarily lengthy so Antoniou can weave their individual stories together, and for that I am grateful because I did not want this book to end. Like many of her characters, I was enslaved, sated, and I yearned for more.
  
  As I refer to The Inheritor, my admiration extends to the series as a whole. What is normally an inhumane concept—what? A slave market? People owned like property, subjected to the whims and dark desires of owners as their Masters and Mistresses?—evolves into a truly emotional and deep-seated need for certain individuals to serve others and achieve happiness while performing the different levels of service.
  
  Duty. Honour. Service. All of the respected participants in the Marketplace, whether they are trainers, owners, or slaves, hold these values in the highest esteem. This is amplified in The Inheritor, where the intricate character and plot development embody such angst because of the return of the prominent characters in the series and the strategically placed crises they face. We see Robin Cassidy's need, hope, and love for lifelong service to her Master, and the weighty, impossible dilemmas placed squarely on the shoulders of (my) series favourite, Chris Parker, jump out of the pages and delve into our hearts. Chris’s anguish, in particular, is crushing while he revisits the memories of the defining moments in his life, as they lead him on his destined path, and the empathy for his plight is palpable as he grapples with his true desires and profound respect for duty. It is truly the tender moments in his life, in his relationships, that highlight what a special man he is to all.
  
  While The Inheritor is moving and inspiring, I would be remiss if I did not mention the inherently erotic nature of the book. Although much of its kinky content and flagrant sexuality may be shocking for some, Antoniou pushes readers beyond the physical to focus on the psychological, spiritual, and emotional aspects of The Marketplace world. It is a place that accepts people for who they are—all sexualities, all races, all kinks, all flavours—while enforcing its own moral code before allowing individuals entry. Make no mistake here: the people in the Marketplace are adults and they enter willingly. Duty, honour, service, as well as sacrifice, are stalwart pillars of the Marketplace society. Built on tradition, values and rules, it is a fictional society with its own niche in a complex world. My only hope now is that a seventh book is already in the works.
  
  The Inheritor is a wonderful installment to The Marketplace series. I absolutely recommend the entire series to all readers who enjoy erotica and a finely crafted story; everyone should experience Laura Antoniou’s exceptional writing. When readers reach The Inheritor, they will not be able to put it down because of her incredible characters and their extraordinarily different lives.
• 
  Sévérin Grimm

  Wow! What a book! I loved it. I would certainly re-read it one day. This is what I call intelligent BDSM. And that's not only sex and SM. The characters are flesh and blood, and vibrant. A must read!
  
  Thanks to Danny Tyran who suggested this book to me. :)
• 
  Byrdie

  I'm really glad that I got the Kickstarter edition of this book, because I think I've been waiting for it for almost seven years. I'm not sure if this installment is meant to finish the series, but it well could. Nicely played.
• 
  Sévérin Grimm

  Oh, Laura! How much I love this series!! Please, give us book 7 soon.
  
  Laura gave exactly the perfect mixture of everything I love in a Master/slave life and of the Marketplace's developments. I never have enough of Chris' drama.
• 
  Amy Shannon

  Totally Amazing
  
  I have read every one of the Books in The Marketplace series. I am a big fan of Chris Parker and his journey of finding himself and being who he really wanted ... a slave who serves. now being faced with a new task that he needs to decide to overland lose his current life or disobey and lose an entire legacy. Entering the world of the marketplace of consensual sexual slavery and how it's explored. These stories are no longer taboo but am open mind is required. I love how this also touches on the stories of those characters who were in the other books. If there are any more stories to follow, I will definitely be reading it. Absolutely loved this.
• 
  Michelle

  I laughed, I cried, I cared. The characters we've come to love continue to grow and have new experiences. The sex scenes are passionate and beautifully written, but even they provide information about the story's progression. Erotica at its finest.
• 
  Seraphina

  I absolutely love Laura's writing style. And this book was so long in coming, but worth the wait!
  
  So many of my favorite characters were back to their old tricks. And some new ones. And, my goodness, did my heart break a couple of times. But it was worth it.
  
  
• 
  Tequila

  I love this book. I hate that it's over, but I love how it ended. While I am hoping for more books in The Marketplace series, if there isn't, I am 100% satisfied with the way the series has ended. If you have read and enjoyed this series, you must read this book!
• 
  The Romance Evangelist

  If you're a fan of The Marketplace, this book is a must-read. I'm so glad I contributed to the Kickstarter so I didn't have to wait!
• 
  Amy K

  After reading the previous Marketplace books this one will rip out your heart and nail it to the wall. And you'll enjoy every moment of it.
• 
  Deanna

  Finally finished The Inheritor by Laura Antoniou last night while walking the treadmill at the gym. LOVE the book. My reaction when it said, "This has been an Audible recording..." NO! NO! NO! It CAN NOT be the end! What about ____ and then, I want to hear the rest of the conversation Chris is having with ___, and What are ____ and ____ really up to?
  Cliffhanger! It was a Cliffhanger! Do we need to have another Kickstarter so Laura won't have a single financial worry while she writes the next one? How can I help? I am in withdrawal! I love you Laura! You make my (fantasy) life wonderful! Guess I will just start back at the beginning of the series again and listen for details I missed before and wait patiently for my Kickstarter stuff.
• 
  Shaista Ajaz

  I love the Marketplace books so much and they seem to get better every time. Laura Antoniou's characters are so well written, I love them all and was so glad to see what they are all up to. This is erotica, but it's also a full rich story that makes you care about the full lives of the people in the story. I miss them already!
• 
  Lori

  Wow. I think I need to go back and re-read the whole series.
• 
  Kessily Lewel

  Well thanks for destroying me. Hopefully I will be somewhat recovered by the next book because I’m still an emotional wreck every time I think about this story and it’s been weeks since I finished it.
  
  You might think I’m joking, but I’m not. This book will make you feel /every/ emotion. It will rip you apart and sew you back together. It’s the first of the Marketplace books where the BDSM scenes don’t actually pull the focus from the plot. I mean, yes, many of them have had a decent amount of plot but the D/s scenes are usually so vivid and detailed that they can’t help pulling the attention even as we slowly unravel the mystery that is Chris Parker and his life.
  
  In this one though, the hot scenes are literally just badly needed emotional breaks to keep you from unraveling with stress as you read.
  
  This review is going to be long and in case you get bored and leave before the end let me break down the most important things for you:
  -This book is heavier on plot and lighter on the BDSM and Sex scenes than some of the other books, but there’s still plenty of hotness.
  -Like all the Marketplace books this is Queer friendly with a mix of all different pairings so whatever your specific gender or kink interest is you’ll probably find it in here.
  -You won’t find much in the way of the lighter kink like simple spanking in here. There is some but a lot of the play here is on the heavier side and some scenes, especially between Chris and Sakai might be too heavy for some people. But it’s obviously /not/ abuse and both sides are clearly enjoying it.
  
  The Marketplace series has several main characters whose lives are intertwined but for me the star of the show has always been Chris Parker. He is a truly unique and amazing character, and all he ever wanted was to be a slave, to know what it was like to grovel at someone’s feet and let them hold the reins. But life has constantly taunted him with the possibility and then ripped it away from him as he reached for it. He’s just too darn good at what he does. Because while in his heart he’s a slave, everyone else sees him as Master Trainer who can bring perfection out of the most untrained slave.
  
  This book is thick, so there’s a lot going on here. The story mainly focuses on Chris Parker, currently a slave, as well as a Trainer of slaves—with a side focus on Robin, a slave that he trained and has maintained a friendship sometimes-lovers relationship with.
  
  A few spoilers:
  In the last book we saw Chris /finally/ getting what he so badly wanted. It seemed like a happy ever after, but everything goes wrong in this new chapter. Chris is happy. Truly happy for the first time in his life. He has an owner who uses all of his unique skills but also puts him on his knees and reminds him he’s a slave.
  
  So of course, it can’t last. When they receive word that Anderson, head of his line and his trainer is on her death bed, things begin to crack. Anderson has never wanted Chris to be a slave. She wanted him to follow her as head of the line and when she dies Chris is presented with an impossible situation. Give up being a slave and take on her role—or find someone who can.
  
  While Chris is racing around the country desperately trying to find someone capable of filling this role, Robin is enjoying her life as a slave with her current Master and looking forward to a longer contract when renewal time arrives. Her current Master is an older man who treats her well and understands what she needs. He’s from a longstanding Marketplace family which means Robin isn’t just a sex toy, but a member of staff with responsibilities.
  
  But her Master is overly curious about what Chris will do and how he’ll handle the choice he’s been given. There is some mystery there and some concern that Robin’s Master might be looking to use her in some way to get to Chris, adding a small amount of intrigue to the book.
  Many old faces, including Ken Mandarin, Michael LaGuardia, and of course, Tetsuo Sakai return for this sequel. We see a number of scenes between Sakai and Chris. They are hot, also hardcore. Some of the BDSM scenes in this book are going to be too much for some people—I personally found them hot.
  
  We also see scenes with Robin and Ken, Robin and her Master, Robin and a couple of other people at a huge BDSM party/gathering that she attends. I’ll be honest with you, my favorite scene in the book was straight up discipline, barely detailed, and was given to Robin by her ‘Big Brother’ Sasha in the household when she messed up badly. The emotions were spot on and the situation so compelling that I’ve reread it a ton of times even though it’s a short section.
  
  Overall this is the best book I’ve read in a long time. Absolutely a worthy edition to this series and I’m glad that I put off reading it until I could really enjoy it because I’m already anxious for the next book.
  
• 
  Meggan

  This is the latest installment of The Market Place series. It picks up a couple of years after The Reunion and we find Chris back in Kobe, and Robin in service to her new master Aiden in Chicago. Mike La Guardia and his wife are in this book, as are Anderson, Ken Mandrin, and Tetsuo.
  
  While I definitely enjoyed this book I struggled with the back and forth between Chris' story and Robin's. Even after it was apparent why there was the back and forth between the stories, I wasn't sure all of it was necessary.
  
  ************************Spoiler Alert********************************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I don't think I was ever a fan of Anderson. She always stuck me as cool, detached, and uncaring. In some respects I can understand the need to be distant as a trainer, however she OWNED Chris. and her excessive level of detachment from their relationship struck me as wrong. So her death, for me, wasn't a difficult thing to bear.
  
  What was difficult is what I saw as her last "FUCK YOU" to Chris. She had to have known there were issues with her other Master Trainers. She, begrudgingly, sold Chris to Tetsuo giving Chris what he'd always wanted. They way it was taken from him had me in tears, and cursing Laura for the emotional wreckage it left for me.
  
  What I didn't see coming is Beth, "borrowing" her brother's Harley and showing up at Chris's place in the middle of the night to ask about The Marketplace. And leaving it at "We're all real."
  
  I'm lucky in that I haven't been waiting for years for the next installment, but as Laura has become a close acquaintance over the last few years, I know the next book in the series isn't coming anytime soon. You can bet I'll pick that book up when it's available because I need to know how Chris builds the house back up, how Robin changes with her additional training, and what becomes of Beth.
• 
  Cherie Syncère

  I am probably the only Marketplace fan who did NOT want to read this book. When I heard that it was going to focus on Owners, I didn't even want it to happen. Owners are users; who cares what they think? I know...I'm better now.
  
  Antoniou really worked the magic here. For one thing, she made me like Michael. She also made me see other Trainers and their styles, which made me appreciate Chris (and Anderson) even more. The Marketplace really does mirror the BDSM/Leather communities in a "this-is-not-necessarily-how-we-do-things-but-this-IS-how-we-think" kind of way. I loved that someone had to explain to Robin's owner that she is doing her "job"; how she really feels about him is different. Don't get me started...
  
  I LOVED the ending of this book. Chris ended up exactly the way I wanted to see him. It was touch-and-go for a minute, there. I was like Bastian from "The Neverending Story", talking to the pages. I'm all right now, though...
• 
  Charles Daniel

  DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! YET!
  
  Go get the first book in the series. Read it! Then get and read the second book! Repeat with the third, the fourth, and the fifth books! It is only logical to read a series in order, but in this case it is vital! The plot lines of these novels form a web of manipulation, power, intrigue, growth, adversity, love, hate, victory, and loss which develops in a seemingly organic fashion. And, it all starts with the dragon's teeth sown in the first two novels.
  
  Some authors are good at developing long story arcs; Antoniou is a master of the art.
  
  Laura Antoniou has created, in this series of books, a story arc which is the erotica equivalent of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" series.
• 
  Mark

  Seems to me it is wide open for book 7. I was really worried there for awhile that it was all wrapping up. But with the many, many rich characters, the opportunity is there to continue the series even without the cliffhanger on the last page with a new to the scene character. #grateful
  
  One of my favorite series. 6 books all 5 stars.
• 
  Avery Cassell

  I wanted to wait until I had Laura Antoniou’s physical book, The Inheritor in my grubby mitts before I wrote a review. I contributed to her Kickstarter, the book arrived last week, so now I can review it. I’d read it twice in my Kindle, however I knew it was a hefty book and I wanted to touch all the pages. The Inheritor is a sensual world, so I wanted to feel the paper beneath my fingertips. And I’m a size queen, tis true. Just how big was this world? 612 pages.
  
  I resisted reading any of Laura Antoniou’s books for years, passing them over for a steady diet of Patrick Califia and cheap smut. I thought Laura’s books were too straight. How I came to that conclusion, I’ll never know. To paraphrase The Smiths, some people are straighter than others, but orientation becomes irrelevant in her books. Laura Antoniou writes well, and writes about kink, passion, love, and lust well. The people in this world are realistic, emotional, sexy, angry, funny, honest, sly…..all the things that people are in any world. This series is also not straight up smut, nor is it straight up fiction, and for that reason I’ll reread the series.
  
  One of my favorite books as a teenager was Islandia, an utopian novel by Austin Tappan Wright. Mr. Wright started creating his alternative world at the age of six and continued until his death in 1931 at age 48. Islandia was a small country and was deliberately isolated from the rest of the world, instead remaining artistic, creative, community driven, and sex positive. Islandia is a deeply immersive book, as is The Inheritor. They share the quality of being a detailed, believable, rich community of people bound by their differences from the rest of the world, and their commonalities to one another.
  
  Yes, after reading The Inheritor, I read the rest of the series, The Marketplace, The Slave, The Trainer, The Academy, and The Reunion. I own most of the series in ebook form, but want to buy them in paperback, because they are good enough to reread and there is something satisfying about seeing a half shelf of sexy, passionate escapism on my bookshelf.
  
  I still want to know how many pages are in the entire series. I’m, you know, curious.
  
• 
  Rebecca Huston

  most recent in the Marketplace series. caution: this book is very graphic, some pretty violent BDSM play that even made me cringe. But the story of Chris Parker continues and takes quite a dramatic turn. Robin, the All-American slavegirl is back. What works here is the psychological dramas and conflicts, but Chris' self- pity damn near drove me crazy with this one. But compared to most of the BDSM fiction out there, this is still the really good stuff. Four and a half stars overall.