Elements: slavery, BDSM
Rating:
- Characters - 5 - A brilliant cast of dozens of characters, each as unique as the next.
- Setting - 5 - A soft setting, but well thought-out and explained to the reader in a way that makes it feel quite real.
- Plot - 5 - The sub-stories each have unique plots, and their overreaching arc just makes the world work that much better.
- Genre Elements - 5 - Between the detail of this near-future world, the slavery elements so very prominent to the story, and the BDSM concepts involved in a few of the tales, the whole series is fascinating from beginning to end.
- Voice - 5 - Never once did I get any of the characters confused. Each is unique, and very easy to tell apart.
- Romance Elements - 5 - Wonderful detail here, as well. Both for the existing romances and the ones that grow over the period of the stories. Each gets its own chance to shine.
- Overall - 5 - This one absolutely gets my top recommendation for any BDSM story anywhere.
In a future where slavery is commonplace once more, a couple called the Slavebreakers take Slaves from their masters that are no longer wanted and retrain them before selling them once more. But Holden and his wife Alix are more than they appear.
My thoughts -
This series hits on many of my favorite things. D/s, hurt/comfort, even slavery, when done in the right way. The world is shockingly rich for how subtle and slow the details are revealed, and the characters really pull you along in the story.
This is actually a series of stories set in this world. The first, Bran's story, is my favorite of the series, though all of the characters show in the others in the series as well. Bran's story highlights the abuses of the system. The second, Jesse is more about those who try to fight the system when they're stuck in it. And there are so many other stories in this series. Each one provides a different angle, a different insight. Never once do you feel you're rereading the same story in a different character's voice.
Even Holden and Alix have their own stories to tell, as well as their oldest slave, Yves, who is actually one of their oldest friends. Each time you think you know the full story, more is revealed. It's definitely not the kind of story that will bore anyone.
That said, I personally love Bran's story the most because it hits most of my favorite kinks about slave stories, and has an incredibly satisfying ending. I think that everyone who reads this series will be drawn to one story or another, depending on their preferences. Really, there's something here for every reader of m/m slave stories. You wouldn't think there would be broad preferences there, but there really are, and this story seems to hit on so many of them.
I do hope that someday the author gets this professionally polished and published in paper form, because it's just a gorgeous series, and deserves to be.
Warnings -
Strong warning for slavery, also for dub-con, D/s and other aspects of BDSM, and for abuse of slaves.
Overall Recommendation -
This one has my top recommendation. If you like slavery, D/s, or BDSM, this is definitely the story to read.
Link to the story - Slavebreakers (index page on dreamwidth)
Author Link - Maculategiraffe (at Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -
- Cinder by Gryvon (AO3) (read my review here)
- The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)
- The Violet and the Tom by Eve Ocitillo (Fiction Press) (read my review here)
- His Client/His Request by Ava March (Goodreads) (read my review here)
- Under Contract by Helen Saito (Goodreads Page) (read my review here)
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