Title: At His Throat, A Promise
Series: N/A
Author: Lilith Grey
Genre: BDSM
Length: Full Novel
Publisher: Amber Allure (December 4th, 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: In the slave city of Spire, Ellis has been discarded. His former master, a man who was supposed to teach him and take care of him, passed away, leaving Ellis alone and in danger of being taken to the Facility. Ellis is desperate to avoid that fate. He seeks a master to take him on, guiding him into adulthood as well as a profession. Ellis has had desire stolen from him—he’s been trained to blush, to submit, to give in. He doesn’t know how to cope with William, a man who wants the real Ellis.
William is a Master, a man born in a neighbor city that does not deal in slavery. He has had bad experiences with slaves in the past, but all that changes when he rescues Harte, a young slave whose abusive master had all but destroyed him. Together, they are content in their mutual roles, not looking for anything more. But when Ellis catches the eye of Harte, and by extension, William, their relationship changes in ways for which they are unprepared.
Harte is a born submissive, a young man who lives for his role. He’s bratty but genuine. William, his master, is his entire life. Harte never expected to have room in his heart for another, but Ellis is beautiful and different and fills a place in his life that he hadn’t known was empty.
If only Ellis could learn to ask for what he desired, what he needed, then maybe William and Harte could help him. But Ellis is trapped inside himself, insecure and afraid. To stay with William, he only has to ask…but that’s the one thing Ellis cannot do…
Advisory: This book contains some non-consensual sex, hardcore bondage and punishment, torture and abuse. May not be suitable for the more sensitive reader. (via Goodreads)
Product Link: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AtHisThroat.html
Reviewer: Adrienne
Review: A few words of warning ~ This book takes place in a world where intelligent children are forced into slavery from age 16 to 20, to learn their master’s trade, but are also used sexually by their masters. Many parts are hard to read, as there is non-con/dub-con, sometimes involving underage children.
That said, At His Throat, a Promise is extremely well-written. The characters all have complete, yet not overwhelming, backstories that lend credence to their actions. Their life stories are doled out at appropriate times during the book, neatly avoiding the information dump so many authors use. The build of both characters and plot is almost flawless.
I did have a few issues with William, who is the ‘nice’ master of the book, but… if he’s so nice, why is he still making his slaves have sex with him? Why does he punish his slaves? And most importantly, why does he have slaves at all? But that was me reading as though At His Throat, A Promise takes place in a world with our morals, and once I put myself into their mindset, these actions make sense.
Ellis is a bit of a snitching brat, but he has his reasons, and his actions are understandable when read contextually. Similarly, Harte has his moments of being irritating, but when you learn of his life before he met Ellis his personality makes complete sense.
There are some spelling/grammatical errors, usually a source of abject vexation, but I was so caught up in the well-planned plot that these mistakes hardly registered.
My suggestion? Suspend your reality, hide your moral compass, and read on. This book is worth it.