britlovestoread's review against another edition
1.0
Extremely hesitant to even admit I read this. What did I even read? Traumatized. I am questioning my sanity over picking this up and somehow finishing it. Like a train wreck from which I could not look away.
lpendergran's review against another edition
dark
tense
2.0
I kept waiting for something good to happen, but it just kept getting worse and worse. Felt like I was watching a train wreck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Physical abuse
limina's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
This was a weird book. Yes this is erotica but it's VERY heavy on the bondage and submission, there are very few "typical" scenes and of those none are exactly consensual. The writing itself wasn't very good either, I've only read one other Anne Rice book so I don't know if this is her typical writing style. She definitely overuses the words "little", "balls", and "spank" a lot. The biggest ick was when Rice makes a point of saying that some of the princes and princesses who are enslaved are 15/16 years old. I won't be reading the remaining books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Rape, Confinement, and Adult/minor relationship
kricketa's review against another edition
2.0
this was...educational. i don't begrudge anyone their enjoyment of this, but it was not to my taste.
i read anne rice's preface, about how this was about equal opportunities forced pleasure, and thought "ok, i can get down with this."
read the first third..."ok, when does she stop getting spanked and start having fun?" beauty is bawling and getting whipped. not fun.
read the second third: beauty is still bawling and getting smacked. seemed to be more about denied pleasure than forced pleasure. which, y'know, is ok, as long as we get to the fun eventually. where is the fun??
then we get to the equal opportunities part, where alexi is bawling and getting smacked.
i skimmed the rest.
so yeah. this was...interesting, and has its place in the "erotica without shame!" movement, but i'll skip the rest of the trilogy.
i read anne rice's preface, about how this was about equal opportunities forced pleasure, and thought "ok, i can get down with this."
read the first third..."ok, when does she stop getting spanked and start having fun?" beauty is bawling and getting whipped. not fun.
read the second third: beauty is still bawling and getting smacked. seemed to be more about denied pleasure than forced pleasure. which, y'know, is ok, as long as we get to the fun eventually. where is the fun??
then we get to the equal opportunities part, where alexi is bawling and getting smacked.
i skimmed the rest.
so yeah. this was...interesting, and has its place in the "erotica without shame!" movement, but i'll skip the rest of the trilogy.
billycrouse's review against another edition
1.0
“spank” doesn’t look like a real word anymore. this was hilariously bad
dragonaion's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Sexual content