elizabetta

2.75 stars

This is rather slow moving and starts as a character study of a young slave, Bran, and his issues -- he’s only known abuse and keeps running away from his masters. Imagine that, seems like a good common sense reaction to me but...he is eventually bought by Holden, a slave reformer or ‘breaker’ who’s job it is to fix Bran but who quickly figures out that a little kindness goes a long way.

I’m reminded a lot of Lilith Grey’s ‘At His Throat, A Promise’ but I liked that one a bit more because there was more world-building and conflict there; here, the world seems a bit smaller. Everything moves fairly smoothly and sweetly, love is all around. Well, if you don’t count Holden’s crazy-assed, attention-sucking histrionics which add to the drama-rama and, I swear, become more trying over the course of the story. I almost wish for some evil, nasty, Snidely Whiplash-y slave owner to come in and smack him upside the head and wreak some dark havoc. There is a smidgen of conflict towards the end but all’s well that end’s well rather abruptly in la-la land. I will read the next one if only to see what happens to poor Bran.