Review: Has some good points, but overall I was a little disappointed
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 31, 2011
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 6/10PROS:- The story shows the beginning of Gabriel's training as Cal's sub, and it struck me as a realistic portrayal, given how exacting and unsympathetic Cal is at times. And Gabriel's attitude toward Cal, especially toward the beginning of the story, is fascinating. Equal parts lust and disgust, desire and hatred.- Gregg captures a submissive attitude well--not just of someone who wants to be tied up and spanked now and then, but of someone who needs to feel entirely overpowered by his Master's will.- There's an angle to the omega werewolf lore that I've never read before, and I thought it was pretty cool.- I liked the two men together. There's quite a bit of helplessness in Gabriel (see cons below) and a lot of protective possessiveness in Cal.CONS:- The ending is abrupt. Several issues are left unresolved at the story's conclusion.- Sometimes Gabriel's actions are childlike and/or helpless in the extreme. I don't particularly mind this sort of thing in m/m books, but I know it annoys some readers.- There are some descriptions of a specific sexual incident that are a bit brutal and give the impression that the incident might not have been entirely consensual on the part of both men. (It *is* consensual, but for readers who are unfamiliar with the submissive mindset that craves torture, it will probably seem brutal.)- The sentences filling in the backstory are so sparse that they're a little confusing sometimes. I tried very hard to fit all the pieces together, but I wasn't always successful.Overall comments: I enjoyed this one enough that I'd be willing to re-read certain sections, but it's not for everyone. There's a pretty serious "small, helpless bottom and big, powerful Top" angle to it, and the sex is quite graphic--enough so that it made me wrinkle my nose a couple of times.