Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Innocence is his only currency.

The gilded cage of propriety where Nathan grew up as a member of the Deilian aristocracy became a true prison when, at fifteen, his homosexuality came to light and created a terrible scandal. His parents see only one way to preserve their reputation amongst the other noble families: fit Nathan with a chastity belt to increase his value to a potential partner and marry him off as soon as possible.

The recipient of that prize is Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. After a hasty wedding, Rother whisks Nathan away to the strange and seductive land of Marisol, where Nathan will begin a new life, free to explore the pleasures of the marriage bed, though his life is still not his own.

But Rother’s Delaga House is a place of secrets, dangers, and depravity Nathan can scarcely comprehend. Where friends are few and peril waits around every corner, Nathan must employ all the manipulation he learned from high society, along with his talent for clockwork. Most of all, Nathan must adapt, compromise to survive, and cast off the preconceptions of his homeland.

Because only he can orchestrate his freedom, and it’ll come at a cost.

First edition published by DSP Publications, April 2019.

 

Book Review

The idea that we are in charge of our own destinies is very Western but, as this story shows, there are some people who end up wanting to be in charge of their own lives no matter what society they were raised in. While this story’s exact setting remains unclear, for most of the book the “feel” I got was that of a steampunk world with Victorian morality and principles in some societies, an openly decadent lifestyle in others. Nobility rules the day, arranged marriages are the norm for anyone of rank, and being different in any way is not acceptable.

The main character of this book is Nathan, a gay young man whose parents can’t marry him off fast enough once he comes of age. His husband is a foreign lord with no empathy and takes Nathan away from everyone and everything he knows without even asking. The result is a suspenseful read that had me trying to guess what was next – and failing most of the time. The pacing and gradual revelations kept me turning the pages, and even the violence, physical and psychological abuse, and brutality (including torture and death) could not stop me from wanting to find out what happens to Nathan.

Nathan has not had any sort of freedom since his sexuality was discovered at fifteen, he is less than mature, and his coming of age story is filled with restrictions, violence, intrigue, and suspense as to how he is going to deal with a life he is not prepared for in the least. He is expected to be “invisible” and passive, not to make any waves for his parents’ social status’s sake. Not only was he not raised for dealing with the unexpected, he initially acts more like a pouting teenager than an adult. It’s a harsh awakening for him when he finds out what his husband is really like. Luckily Nathan is not stupid and comes up with a plan to free himself – but it is neither easy nor does it come cheap.

As Nathan learns to survive in a foreign society and begins to fend for himself, he has to grow up and leave much of what he was taught behind as useless or even dangerous. Some of the people he encounters are willing to help. Some are master manipulators, and others enemies of the worst kind. Nathan has to figure out which is which, and with none of the old “rules” there to help him, it is quite difficult. The one thing that keeps him going is the need to be his own man, to control what happens to him and those he comes to love. It’s one heck of an adventure!

If you like your romances gritty and with lots of suspense, if character-driven stories are your thing, and if you’re looking for a fast-paced read with lots of mystery, revelations, and a totally unexpected ending, then you will probably like this novel. It’s not for the faint-hearted and offers a fascinating look at human nature and all its darkness as well as how someone with the will to overcome it can succeed.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 370 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	29-February-2020
Price	$4.99 ebook, $13.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084VDPVJR