Review: The Fall of the Dragon King by MomsDarkSecret

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia
Elements: Dragonkin

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - A bit overly dependent on archetypes at first, but once the story starts flowing, they're quite interesting.
• Setting - 5 - Pretty unique. The world feels like it's been well-planned out, and has some fascinating details I don't think I've seen put together in quite this way.
• Plot - 5 - A great story that pulls you along from the beginning, even when you're so frustrated with the characters you want to smack them.
• Genre Elements - 5 - Lots of fantasy aspects used in a new and interesting way.
• Voice - 4 - Good, though the characters outside the main two get quite muffled or overly archetypal after the initial chapters.
• Romance Elements - 5 - Excellent and believable. I like that their romance is neither easy nor swift. You root for them to the very end.
• Overall - 4.5 - A high recommendation here. Some imperfections, but overall a very enjoyable read.

Basic story -
An ancient legend and a dying land leads a cleric to sacrifice himself in a unique way--and a prince to agree to the sacrifice in hopes of saving his land.

My thoughts -
This story drew me in from the beginning. It was very different from what the description suggested--a forced marriage story. Instead, what this is is a story about two men trying to do the best they can for their world, and the consequences of it. The two main characters are fascinating. Mora and Hadrin both seem typical of their sort. The cleric who will do anything to protect his people, and the Prince who must live up to his father's expectations and defend the land. And yet, together, they become so much more. The endgame was not at all what I expected, and so surprising that I can't wait to read it again to see if it is really as out of the blue as it felt reading it the first time. Either way, the ending is satisfying and just what the story needed.

The world is interesting, particularly the mythos of the Dragon King. The prophesy that his line will eventually destroy the world makes for an intriguing plot as you try to decide if it is nothing more than myth or if there really is something more to it as Mora truly believes. The constant tries to pull the two young men apart only makes you root for them more, and ache for the difficulties they are going through. Particularly once they truly fall for each other.

There are some minor spelling and grammar issues, as well as some writing issues, but once you start reading, these vanish beneath the interest of the story itself, and given that it is a free online story, it's really one of the better ones I've read, despite these issues.

Warnings -
Some violence and assassination attempts against the main characters.

Overall Recommendation -
A high recommendation here for those interested in fantasy worlds.

Link to the story - The Fall of the Dragon King (at Fiction Press)
Author Link - MomsDarkSecret (at Fiction Press)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Quartz Key by Lianne Burwell (Online link)  (read my review here)
• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (LJ) 
• The Ennik Series by Kim Fielding (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• The Prince's Boy by Cecilia Tan (Publisher's site) (read my review here)

Review: Under Contract by Helen Saito

Genre: Near-future, Dystopia
Elements: BDSM, contract slavery

Rating:

• Characters - 5 - The characters in this story are quite believable, and each have their own little bit to contribute to the larger story. There are even a couple stories I wish we'd hear more about.
• Setting - 4 - Though the world is interesting, we don't get quite enough detail for my tastes to tell us how all this came about, where they are, and what the world is like now.
• Plot - 5 - The plot very much lives up to the premise, and pulls you along, keeping you guessing as to how it will all end.
• Genre Elements - 5 - The BDSM aspects of this story are excellent. There's something for just about all BDSM lovers.
• Voice - 5 - Never once do I get any of the three main characters confused, even when they are not initially named in voice-shifts. They're all quite unique.
• Romance Elements - 4 - Both the romance of Gavin and Alex and Gavin and Sam are quite good, though they never quite reach the level of "can't-live-without-you" romance.
• Overall - 4.5 -Very highly recommended. After Slave Breakers, probably my favorite BDSM story. Definitely one of my all-time favorites so far.

Basic story -
Gavin is a trainer at Cascade. He very much enjoys his job. Far more than he ever liked being a slave. But when he meets Alex, he finds that perhaps being a slave isn't entirely a bad thing. At least, for Alex. As Gavin's attraction to Alex grows, he struggles with truths he's been convinced of for a very long time. Can he find a place in his life for Alex, or should he let him go?

My thoughts -
I'm a big fan of BDSM stories, especially when well written, and this one definitely is. You get various points of view when it comes to how this system works, and each person has their own preferences and kinks. Saito gives us a great glimpse into a world where this is the norm for this group, and each little detail just makes it that much more real.

The two central characters show us a great cross-section, especially. Gavin as the long-time practitioner, who only indulges at work or with his partner, Sam, and Alex as the newcomer who barely knows what he wants. Gavin's experiences as a slave leave him wary of letting anyone who doesn't have experience in this world become a slave, but he also makes sure to give Alex a good grounding.

The plot builds from Gavin's doubts about Alex, and also his attraction to him. There's no real jealousy between he and Sam--their agreement allows for some flexibility, given Gavin's job. The real tension comes from the fact that it is Gavin's job to train Alex to be sold, but he's not sure he wants Alex to fall into the same trap he felt he himself was in as a slave. And, of course, the question of whether he wants to save him from himself, or save him for himself.

What follows is a very satisfying story. Between the characters, setting, and the BDSM elements, this story will keep you reading from beginning to end.

Warnings -
Slavery and heavy BDSM elements.

Overall Recommendation -
Definitely for anyone who loves reading BDSM. 

Link to the story - Under Contract (at Goodreads)
Author Link - Helen Saito (at Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Slavebreakers by Maculategiraffe (free online) (read my review here)
• The Violet and the Tom by Eve Ocitillo (Fiction Press) (read my review here)
• The Ennik Series by Kim Fielding (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (LJ)

Review: Stasis/Flux/Equipose by Kim Fielding

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia (though it also feels like it's only a few notches away from steampunk to me)
Elements: slavery, magic

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - There is a good variety of characters, but most of the story focuses on a very small central cast, specifically the two main characters. They're interesting characters, but it felt like they all could be so much more.
• Setting - 5 - Brilliant world, very different from our own, with a lot of great detail, and many different lands.
• Plot - 5 - Incredibly unique and rich, and I was never sure where it would go next. Excellently written.
• Genre Elements - 5 - The magic is subtle to the world, but integral, and she does an excellent job reminding us that Miner is still classified as a slave, regardless of how Ennik feels about him.
• Voice - 5 - All very incredibly unique and diverse. Especially in the second book, where she deals with a whole new culture with a completely different language.
• Romance Elements - 5 - They are subtle, but they're there, and you truly feel for Ennik and Miner, and want them to succeed.
• Overall - 5 - A high recommendation here. Well worth reading.

Basic story -
Ennik is the second son of the leader of his land, but he has never felt part of the system. The only thing that has ever stuck in his memory is the day he was taken down to see the prisoners in stasis.

My thoughts -
This was the first m/m I actually bought myself, and it was entirely worth it. I can honestly say I've never read anything like it. It's truly unique in the best definition of the word. The idea of the magic, especially as used to keep people in stasis for generations, is quite different.

The world seems to be set in some far-distant dystopian future set in and around San Francisco, or a place in a fantasy world that is very similar to San Francisco. Fielding has done an excellent job of using details from her home city and her travels to give this world far more detail. The Praesidium is one of the most prosperous city states in the land because of its port, which connects them to a greater world than other city states are able to access. In the second book, they travel across the ocean, and visit this world's version of China. Each land is quite unique, and well-detailed, Feilding's sense of detail making them as real as our own world.

Ennik and Miner are fascinating characters. Ennik's journey from lesser son to his own person feels real. From his discovery and rescue of Miner, to learning magic, to their flight from home, each event gives his journey more realism. And Miner's backstory is fascinating and horrifying. Never once does he forget what he was before and what he is during the process of the entire story. I would have loved more details about the other characters, but truly, Ennik and Miner are the center of the story.

Over all, I loved this series. Every moment is fascinating, and it just keeps you reading and rooting for them over the entire series.

Warnings -
Slavery, abuse. Minor, but still there. The slavery is rather significant.

Overall Recommendation -
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys slow love stories and magic. It's a fascinating world, and you will easily fall for Ennik and Miner.
Link to the story - The Ennik series (at Goodreads)
Author Link - Kim Fielding (at Goodreads)
If you liked this story, try -

• The Adorned by John Tristan (Goodreads) (read my review here)
• Under Contract by Helen Saito  (Goodreads Page) (read my review here)
• Slavebreakers by Maculategiraffe (free online) (read my review here)
• Dolls and Seesaws by Menswear (AO3 - unfinished story)
• Undesirable by Velvet Mace (LJ)

Review: Slavebreakers by Maculategiraffe

Genre: Near-future, Dystopia
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.

Basic story -
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)