Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Initiation

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Initiation by Alethea Faust

20 reviews

literarycryptid's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

Content Warnings

whatthefridge's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The worldbuilding is basically like “what if DnD concentration spells could only be achieved through BDSM sex.” For example, attack spells require impact play, with the energy stored in a focus that could be used during combat. And Dominai is like if you took a seasoned Ranger and he’s suddenly multi-classing with magic.

The beginning few chapters feel very PWP with BDSM 101. However, as my interest was waning at the repetition, there was a thankful shift in the story. A bit of reprieve. Once more plotty stuff starts happening, it feels less drifting.

Everyone is vers and switch and pansexual. The on-page sex tends to leans most heavily towards phalluses and butt stuff, but there is some vag content, which can be good or bad depending on what one’s expecting going into this. Oh and there’s no romance! It keeps the sex casual to the very end, even with Dominai becoming the closest with two of his friends. So if you’re into sexual queerplatonic relationships, this should be a gold mine.

The plot that you do get is bare minimum, but it’s enough to drive character motivations and help Dominai grow into himself. I consider that a job well done. Though, of course, there needs to be a warning that the plot comes with implications of off-page dark content. In a way it’s a palate cleanser so that the entire novel isn’t simply low stakes friskiness.

I’m very intrigued about where this could possibly go in the next book. Though I should temper my expectations in case it repeats the same beats. Alas the curse of becoming invested.

Content Warnings

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is such a bonkers book but quite a fun time. I quite liked the main three characters, and have some minor favorites I hope to see more of (Ambra my love). The romance was also very sweet for a book like this. Because the book tackles such a breadth of subject, not everything was to my taste but I think it made a valiant effort at trying to explain why someone would like it, even if some I really did not lol. I do wish Dom had said no, even once. This boy went from supposedly straight to a bi verse switch in like three days with no angst and never felt the need to stop anything. Like good for him but come on. It also gets weirdly dark in the final bit, though it fits the worldbuilding and was handled better than a lot of books so it didn't bother me much. Overall I enjoyed it and will be continuing on.

Content Warnings

nataliadevesa's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Cada capítulo hay un tipo de Kink distinto. Que lo que buscas es leer cómo tanta gente folla de maneras muy diversas es tu libro.

Content Warnings

galleytrot's review against another edition

Go to review page

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

FIRST READ: Jan 2024

SECOND READ: Apr 2024
FORMAT: Digital, Audio

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4.75 / 5⭐

TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4 / 5⭐

FINAL – OVERALL: 4.5 / 5⭐

In this book, Dominai finally arrives at the wizard’s towers after it was suggested he might have some magical aptitude, leaving behind a life that could no longer guarantee his security. Methods of casting magic are far more carnal than he ever would have guessed, and he is taken under wing by several of the Crux’s more experienced casters to help him find the schools of magic he would most like to earn his mastery in. One of their castings give him a vision of a missing wizard of the tower, confirming her to be alive and held captive and sparking a rescue mission for her and the others who have since gone missing.

This book is entirely aware of exactly what it is at all times, from cover to cover; it’s right there, in the name of the series. I wasn’t confident going in that it would amount to anything more than pure erotica, but it actually surprised me. I won’t claim that the plot is necessarily all that clever, but it is surprising and entertaining right to the end. I was worried for the first handful of chapters, because our main character is very much a blank slate who isn’t even given so much as a physical description until way later, just being yanked around from one encounter to the next by people who are just immediately enamoured with him. Eventually we get to know more about him, once we’re done being inundated by the setting and rules of this world.

If you want to poke and prod, the whole premise is a bit silly and might not hold up to very much scrutiny; but if you’re willing to put that aside for some sex-positive, diverse, and kinky fun, then this book has it in spades. As far as representation of kink goes, I have only one complaint: Dominai is thrown into every encounter without any real conversation to explicitly tell him what he’s agreeing to. He is endlessly curious and willing, and he is always given the freedom to stop at any given moment, but by-and-large his consent is uninformed more often than not.

All that aside, I had an extremely good time reading this book and I’m raring to go for the next ones in the series.

This book has representation for pansexuals, polyamory, and intersex individuals. Multiple characters are non-white, and several others are sentient, non-human fantasy races.

The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.

This book contains:

past injury (broken arm, healed poorly); past parent death (illness); alcohol use; mentions of animal deaths (for protection and for food); kidnapping, confinement; consensual piercing; physically and mentally harmful past violation of trust; weapon violence (weaponized magic, blades, bow and arrows); mentions of rape, sexual assault, abuses, brutality; racial prejudice (against a fantasy race); mention of past colonization; blood, burns, injuries; drugging/sedation; death; and, vomiting.

Content Warnings

yeah_she_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

abookwormspov's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

broken_biscuits's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It was really refreshing to read kink by someone who clearly is actually kinky. Each scene really understood what was your about the kink, and it includes some kinks that aren't often represented. I will say I didn't love that SA was part of the main conflict, but it didn't ruin it for me either.

Content Warnings

yuna's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

tl;dr, I liked it a lot, didn't like some plot aspects a lot. Would read the next, though it's something I need to be in the mood for because this one led to some smut fatigue since smut happens in almost every chapter.

One of the best I've read so far at making the sex magic feel well-thought out and applied to the actual magic system. A lot of the time when there's 'sex magic' it's just...fucking, and there's Reasons that it somehow makes magic or whatever. Here, the way the schools were set up and the kinds of spells attributed had a logical underpinning for me. Appreciated the descriptions that served as content warnings to start most chapters.

I like Dom for the most part. He's a bit of a reader insert in how he's good at everything, a natural wizard, very emotionally mature and developed despite supposedly living a very isolated life before he arrives at the Crux... But he's a good guy and likable, and I'd much rather read about someone who's that and maybe a little too perfect than an asshole.

The plot was fine, if I ignored what starts it off, because that's one of my big pet peeves. I'm not a fan when characters find out that they/their friends are in grave peril, and instead of doing something proactive they fuck. Dom finds out on his <b> third day </b> that a wizard who has been missing for a year is being held against her will and tortured. Third day. & it takes a month for the Crux to really do anything/the catalyst that drives them into action happens. There's a minor mention of them kinda trying to do more, but it's a weak attempt and there's so much more that could've been done. If I think about it too much, it starts to poke holes in Arlon as a grand master, it raises questions about other people at the Crux...just..ugh. I know it's an erotica story and the plot is secondary, but I wish it hadn't given itself such high stakes when it wanted to have an overall 'just vibes' tone.

Re: the inclusivity of the story/cast. This kind of reminded me of Kit Rocha's Beyond series in that it felt like in trying to be so inclusive it ended up turning the Crux into something of a monolith. How queer-friendly (and kink-friendly) are you when only one identity is allowed? ('Allow' may not be the right word here, but the impression I got is that you, at the very least, won't be comfortable/find much success at the Crux if you're not The Right Type, even if you might be allowed in.) Everyone at the Crux is bi/pan, polyam, and both versatile and a switch. Everyone. So far, everyone we've met in the book engages in every one of the Crux's "schools"/kinks. There's a mention that some people prefer to conduit over cast, but everyone does both. Which makes sense for gaining mastery, but we never meet someone who only chooses one role. We never meet someone who isn't into a certain school, or is only interested in a certain school. We don't meet anyone who doesn't fit the mold. So, while the Crux feels very welcoming on the one hand, on the other it also feels like you've got to be a certain way to actually fit. Which is disappointing, because there's so much to like here too. I love that it's RACK to the max, and how consent is of utmost importance at the Crux. I really like how consent is portrayed throughout the book, because it's not a one and done thing, it's repeatedly brought up and reiterated that it's something that can be both given and revoked during a session.

Content Warnings

cas_sun_dean_rising's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Content Warnings

More...