Spoils of War (Spoils of War 1) by Kari Gregg
| Genre | Gay / Fantasy / Royalty/Nobility / Erotic Romance |
| Reviewed by | Serena Yates on 21-February-2017 |
| Genre | Gay / Fantasy / Royalty/Nobility / Erotic Romance |
| Reviewed by | Serena Yates on 21-February-2017 |
Enslaved during the invasion of the rival King of Herra, Micah cut off his emotions and adapted to his new life in servitude. Xerxes, the Herran King, abuses his captive to keep the neighboring kingdom of Alekia under his yoke, but after Micah nearly dies when plague sweeps Herra, the Alekian King sends Eli to bring his beloved son home. Conditioned by his slavery, unable to cope with his freedom, Micah seeks to please the new master he's found in Eli throughout their harrowing journey to a homeland he no longer remembers. Eli protects the young man and introduces Micah to the pleasures denied him as a prisoner.
Will Micah accept his noble birthright when they reach Alekia, and more importantly, can he accept Eli as the devoted slave his father has given him rather than the master he's come to love?
WARNING: This book contains graphic sex and violent content.
The first edition was published by Noble Romance in October 2010. The second editionwas released by Loose Id in January 2014.
There are some books that are not nice to read, in the sense that they are neither relaxing nor entertaining. This is one of them for me. The story, however, is one that is well worth reading if you are interested in the way humans deal with adversity and a negation of who they are. Unfortunately, we have had quite a few examples in our history where one group of people thought themselves superior (for whatever reason) and attempted to destroy those they fond objectionable. Reading the facts and figures in the history books and attempting to comprehend the horror of it is one thing; it will certainly give you the big picture. However, if you want to fully understand the sheer human horror of the group being "eradicated" (for whatever reason), you have to break it down to the level of one person. One man's misery we can comprehend more easily, because often it is more real to us, than the misery of an entire group of people. If you think you can bear to read this story, set far back in history, I believe it is well worth it. Just be warned, it is not an easy read!
Micah is the boy whose development we follow. He is torn from his mother's side when he is eight and enslaved by the enemy king of Herra. Mistreated and beaten over years, denied his name and any sort of decent food, he grows up into a man only to be raped by the king on his eighteenth birthday, then passed along the officers and noblemen as a "bed warmer". The only way he can deal with it is to cut off his emotions, and over the years, he learns to accept his fate to the point that he rebels when he is finally freed. He cannot comprehend freedom, nor does he want to be without a master. How can he? He's never learned how.
Eli is the man who infiltrates Herran defenses and pulls Micah from his miserable existence. At first he has no idea how to cope with Micah's need to see him as his new master, but during their trip to freedom they begin to develop a relationship that allows Micah to get what he wants without having to accept the scary idea that he is now free. Eli's devotion to Micah and his unending patience when teaching him new things is heart-wrenching and I loved watching them come to terms with who each of them are. Theirs is a unique relationship based on mutual need and, eventually, love.
If you're ready to read the harrowing tale of one man who lives through hell only to discover there is a life for him outside the walls of the kitchen he's been kept prisoner in for over ten years, if you want to find out how it is possible to cope with the sheer horror, and if you're looking for a story that will make you think, and cry, and sigh with relief at the end of it all, then you will probably like this novella.
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.
| Format | ebook |
| Length | Novella, 81 pages/23276 words |
| Heat Level | |
| Publication Date | 08-January-2017 |
| Price | $3.22 ebook |
| Buy Link | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT7ERW9 |