See review of first book.

This continues to be a brilliant story that I am struggling with. And that is the whole point of it. It shouldn't be easy to read, but you can't stop. I have to know what happens next, but this is the most intense series I have ever read.

Almost dnf.
Definitely not the book for me.

You know how feeling nauseous while hungry feels like? Well, so do I and it's never a pleasurable experience.

Not sure what else to say. I want to read the ending of this story. Good, bad, torturous, hopeful, hopeless, I want to know it. Anything before that, I'll skip.

Review for the whole series:

I'm torn as to call these books a scam or not.

These "books" cost $3 per 50 pages, but it's actually $3 for a lot less than 50 pages of story. Let me break down the books for you:

Unlike other books, this one had THREE pages about copyright stuff. Most books have one page.
This book had one dedicated page telling people not to pirate stuff.
A multi-page review of the previous books (fair enough).
A multi-page preview of what would happen in this book.
After the story, a multiple page "about the author" section for each of the two authors.
For each of the two authors, a page about other books they wrote.
5-6 pages of advertisements for other books by this publisher.

I'm surprised there was room for story at all.

Unsurprisingly, when being paid $3/a few pages of story, the plot moved glacially slow. Around book three some progress was made, but by the end the characters all went through a backslide and things ended up where they had been. That same thing happened three or four times. It wasn't until book eight that some (real?) progress was made. Would the characters backslide once more? No idea; I wouldn't continue with this series even if I got the books for free.

I loved the idea, characters, storylines, etc. However, in the authors' assumed effort to keep things moving slowly, things stopped making sense. I started laughing at things the characters said or did, which is a bad sign for a book. (I also mentioned loving the writing, and on that point I can't change my mind. Good, straightforward style, very good grammar/editing.)

So, to sum up: If one bought the first eight books, they would have paid $24 for 320 pages of story (assuming a very generous 40 pages of story per book). Story that goes no where, story where the authors have a financial interest in keeping the plot from making progress.

If you're familiar with fanfic writing, this was basically one big PWP. (PWP = Porn, what plot?) The authors seemed to have a laundry list of kinks, and made sure to cover at least one major one per book (including distasteful-to-me watersports and incest -- not exactly things I want to see in sexytime books).

So, all in all: Not recommended. If you're interested in slash/adult writing, there's just as good to be found online for free.

That not bad enough? If you bought the first 17 books, for about 675 pages of story, you're going to spend $51 (and not even get the complete series!).

Stephen King's The Stand has 1,153 pages and sells for $5. A more modern example? His Under the Dome has 897 pages and sells for $8.

Okay, I know it's not really a scam, they don't hide the price or the page count, but still. Their pricing scheme is wrong and unfair. I'm sorry to say that I did buy the first three or four books, but the rest I won't read unless I borrow them from someone else. I already gave the authors $9 or $12, so I feel more than covered on payment.

Anyway. The first eleven or so books in the series are basically PWP (Porn, What Plot?). Two brothers get kidnapped by modern day slavers and we see the whole slavery system through their experiences. That sounds more plotty then it is -- there was just enough framework of a story to justify all the adult stuff.

Around book twelve, everything changed. There was a whole book with nearly no sex. As much as I like plot over porn, this wasn't a good shift as the plot was not believable at all. The whole story took a left turn, one of the brothers escaped and met two ~dreamy~ people from the FBI who decided to take down the cartel because the male ~dreamy~ agent was in love with the escaped brother.

The following books, thirteen through sixteen, were all plot about planning to destroy the slavery ring. Next to no sex, and totally unbelievable plot. It felt like a bait and switch -- PWP to gen (fanfic written for general audiences) with no warning.

Worse than the plot being bad, I was annoyed that all the characters we knew were now getting their lives ruined. Some innocent ones (men who had been slaves for nearly their whole lives and were now up there in years and didn't want something else), some not so innocent (the main character slave trainer, though he was still a good guy, as much as that profession allowed.). I guess we were supposed to be happy to see them get their comeuppance, but we had spent all these books getting to know them, so I was more annoyed than anything else to see what would happen to them.

I'm glad to be done with the series. In the beginning I did enjoy it ('breaking and rebuilding people' is probably my most favorite story element ever), but in the end it turned out to be nothing but a disappointing conclusion and a money-grab.

god- i don't know if i can stand any more of this. reading these books is an elaborate form of torture; i'm actually feeling physically sick right now.
on the one hand i admire the authors for creating such a fucking twisted universe, for being able to portray the characters in a way that makes them seem so lifelike and complicated and real, to convey their feelings - with all the nuances - so well.
on the other, i simply wish i'd never started this series. i think i can safely say that it's the single most emotionally draining thing i've ever read. i will finish it. it's an experience. however, then i'm going to try to erase it from my memory.

1 or 5..Hmmmm! 1 or 5.. Ok mind made up.

5+++++++++ fucked up, why the hell do I read such books stars

WARNING quoting the book I call review.

Tell me how not to suffer

Maybe I’m a ghost, he thought, despite evidence to the contrary: the feel of his own heaving chest under his palm. They killed me and I’m a ghost and this is limbo, and they sent me here for hurting my own brother.

This series is just so wrong on many levels, yet I find myself here reading book 3 and will continue upto 19.

Everytime I read a book in this series.. let’s just say all moral pffft!
What morals? Out the window they go. Bye Morals...



Nikolai is a bastard. Like a Psycho bastard,.. I hate him but then again I am intrigued by him.

“My name is Nikolai,” the man said. “But you must earn the right to call me that. For now, sir will do.”



This book Matt was made to suffer more than the last two.. I was like please just give the guy a break.

I will kill your brother. I didn’t buy the pair of you for him. I have no use for him. I don’t particularly have time for him. And lest you get it into your head that death is preferable, understand that I will kill him slowly. Over months. I’ll pull out every tooth, every fingernail, every toenail. Gouge out his eyeballs. Cut off his ears, his nose, his tongue, his balls, his cock. Cauterize his wounds and leave him to die of sepsis. Do you understand?”

Dougie.. poor guy he has suffered to a point he just decided to go with the flow.. I am so rooting for him to succeed.

“Undo my fly,” he said, and when Douglas moved too quickly, too eager to play at eagerness, Nikolai steadied his hand with his own and added, “Slowly. Sensually.This isn’t mechanics, it’s worship, do you understand?”

“The instant I pull free,” he panted, “you will stroke me to completion. You will look me in the eyes the entire time. You will hold your mouth open, tongue out, like—” He had to stop for a moment, breathe deep, rein himself in. “Like a happy dog, if you’ll excuse the crassness. Don’t you dare let so much as a whisper of disgust show on your pretty face. Con-se-quences.

So if you can read about Rape, Forced Incest, Torture, Psychos and any other despicable thing there is, then by all means read this little gem of a series.

Not quite as emotionally devastating as the first two, but still extremely good. Definitely continuing with the series.

3.75 stars