Reviewed by JustJen
Title: The Chimera
Author: Adrienne Wilder
Series: Bound Gods #1
Heroes: Leo Roan/Kaleb Holten
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 147 Pages
Publisher: Adrienne Wilder
Release Date: March 27, 2016
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Kaleb Holten’s father’s debt to an underground group The Association has just been called in, and the man can’t pay the loan. Instead of turning over his wealth, he releases his son and Kaleb finds himself thrown into a world where a class of men see themselves as untouchable. Going so far as to call themselves gods.
After the Great Economic Collapse there are no laws that cannot be broken. And Kaleb is forced into a ten-year sentence of servitude where he will have no say, no rights, no value and yet be coveted and protected as if he were a priceless treasure.
Leo Roan, has slipped the noose the Association bound him with by breaking his addiction to ambrosia and Kaleb Holten was supposed to be his last assignment as a doxie Master. But something about the boy begins weaving a new net that will not only ensnare him but the conscious darkness inside, that craves pain, agony, suffering, and death.
Review: Interesting start to a new series. Heed the warnings on this one though, it’s definitely on the darker side.
Leo is a Chimera, a God with a little something extra inside. He has finally reached the point where he has earned the right to stop taking Ambrosia which the Gods take to maintain their immortality. He will now age and die like a human. Before that happens though, he agrees to take on the job of training one more doxie for a one-year period.
Doxie’s are young men who are basically trained as sex slaves for the Gods. They all have something special about them, but it seems they are acquired through contracts and unpaid debts, such as is the case with Kaleb. Unfortunately, Kaleb (18 years old) has no previous knowledge about his potential or role as a doxie. None whatsoever. So, when Leo takes him as payment for his father’s unpaid debt, he is a bit unsure. Fearing what will happen to his family and his youngest sister who wants to transition, he accepts the contract of 10 years to pay off his father’s debt.
Leo gives him a few chances to change his mind, but Kaleb chooses to stay. Leo explains some things to Kaleb, but he is so inexperienced, he’s almost completely pure. Leo quickly starts training by actions and doing things to reinforce how Kaleb no longer has any choices but to submit to the whims of his Master, and eventually, whoever he ends up with. This got a bit frustrating for me at times. I so badly wanted Leo to just explain more about what everything meant. He was sure to explain how he had to break him down before rebuilding him, but he seemed to be extra cryptic at times when more information would have gotten him a lot further.
There is a bit of worldbuilding taking place here, but there are still a lot of unknowns. We get glimpses of some interesting side characters I’m hoping to see more of, such as the other God, Zen, who seems to be a bit of a naughty bugger. Then, there’s Alton, the God boss, who seems to set up all the events, including the doxies, etc. He appears to know something more about Kaleb, seems to have actually been relying on that something to lure Leo into forgetting his plan to leave, and just has a bit of mystery surrounding him.
This is definitely on the darker side, with the non-con and training for sexual slavery, but it is very well written and definitely interesting. This is the start of a serial, and I’m excited the next one is already out and ready to go, because I’m really looking forward to seeing where things are headed.
Overall Impression: I really liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
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