Review: I stayed up all night and read it twice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 14, 2013
I am amazed at reading such a believable alternate universe book, and not having heard of it before the cover photo drew me in.  I don't understand why people are not publicizing this book all over the place.  It is really good!The author does not make any pretense that slavery is a good thing -- it is presented as a fait accompli in this society, and that is the way that it is.  And so, the book then deals with the consequences of slavery.  A couple I had not considered before are the sterilization of slaves (in a society medically advanced enough to do this beyond the ancient practice of making eunuchs), and the disposal problem of slaves too old to be sexually attractive in a society where a new child can be purchased by anyone with the money.  There are also indications that slavery is not world-wide because Bran (and others) can/have run away to find people known to help escaping slaves reach freedom or a better life (a version of the Underground Railroad of pre-Civil War days).Apparently this is part of a series; I look forward to reading more.