Review: Good story, but not as developed as I wanted it to be
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 16, 2010
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 6/10PROS:- I admired Helios, the narrator, almost immediately. He lives under horrible circumstances, but the tone of the narration is conversational and matter-of-fact, not pitiful; he comes off as frank rather than fragile and victim-like. Helios isn't miserable in his role as sex slave, which makes for an interesting change.- The plot is intriguing and involves an impressive range of different characters and settings, all of which contribute to the story's exotic atmosphere. I really liked the unexpectedness of the plot.- The sex begins right off the bat--within a few pages--but although it's impersonal to start with, I thought those scenes were pretty hot, especially the first one. (see cons below also)CONS:- Much of the defining action in the story happens quickly, with not much description...on several occasions, Helios's life changes completely within the span of only a few paragraphs.- There are some scenes and revelations that are written in a way that makes them appear very dramatic in the story, but they don't occur in the way that I thought they should logically. I wondered on more than one occasion, "Why am I just finding this out now? There have been ample opportunities to divulge this information earlier in the story, when it would have made more sense." Still other revelations are LESS impactful than they could be if they were hinted at earlier in the story.- Both of the main characters seemed a little bipolar to me, with their swings from distant to lovey-dovey, independent to needy, horny to emotionally cold. I must admit to rolling my eyes a bit at Helios's sudden wisdom about submission, but I found Griffin even more confusing: he's incredibly careful not to order Helios around most of the time (in and out of the bedroom), and other times, he revels in his role as Dominant in their relationship.Overall comments: There's promise here, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with the depth of the storytelling. The plot covers one man's rise from slavery to greatness, which is a rather weighty subject, and I just didn't feel that the length was quite enough to do the plotline justice. What I especially wanted to see was a deeper examination of Helios's emotional reaction to the changing circumstances of his life.