Debra E's Never-Ending TBR

Review originally posted at Sinfully.

This is a series that must be read in order so my review may contain some mild spoilers from the prior books in the series. I was thrilled when I saw the cover reveal for this story with Aaron front and center. If you’ve read my review of Chained (Book 2) you know how much I liked him and how much I was hoping for his bond with Kaleb to continue. Adrienne Wilder has placed warnings at the start of each book, stating that everyone will likely be offended by something and I’m pretty sure this book will hit that nerve for a lot of people.

Picking up from where Chained left off, the tone is immediately set with Kaleb begging and in tears as Leo is punishing him for his disobedience in the prior story. Kaleb still hasn’t realized that Leo never forgets a transgression or reneges on a promised punishment. The gods and doxies are all still holed up in Sanctuary as the god-son continues its deadly rampage, and they are awaiting a visit from the goddesses that could have dire repercussions. Alton also knows more than he has led on and Leo is not going to have any of it.

Aaron is still recovering from the attack that permanently disfigured him and Kaleb is still drawn to him and trying to be a friend. We learn that Aaron is bred from a long line of doxies and was groomed from birth. With Sol casting him aside and his beauty marred he is in limbo. If he is sent home he would be turned away by his family for disgracing them with his inability to serve but if Sol chooses, he could be sold out or sent to purgatory to serve the gods imprisoned there. Death would be the kindest fate and Aaron is trying to get there, but Kaleb won’t allow him to give up. There is another option however that Leo is willing to offer, but it comes with risks and it will force Kaleb to be honest with both himself and Leo.

Here’s where things get dicey and some may find this a little spoilery (so skip straight to the next paragraph is you want), though I thought it was telegraphed a bit in the prior book and it’s referenced in the blurb. It happens early on in the story and it’s hard to say more without it coming up, so without divulging specific details I love the addition of Aaron into Kaleb’s training with Leo. Aaron fills a need for both men. For Leo and the Chimera, Aaron is able to handle both him and the beast. His pain threshold is almost nonexistent and though he is young, he is a doxie of the highest caliber. For Kaleb, Aaron is a model of what a true doxie is, helping Kaleb to understand his nature. He is also a bit mischievous, loyal, and a gentle soul that Kaleb truly cares for and doesn’t want to see hurt anymore. Aaron doesn’t understand why anyone would find him worthy now that his beauty is compromised and he’s lost his voice, but there just may be something special about him that only Kaleb and Leo can bring out.

Betrayal is the name of this installment and it’s here in spades whether actual or perceived. As Alton (who is still a huge seemingly all-seeing mystery) and Leo get closer to figuring out how the god-monster was created, what it is, and who is behind it, a betrayal by at least one of their own is revealed. In addition, Kaleb must deal with his own feelings when he believes he has betrayed Leo in several ways, and what he must do to protect both Leo and Aaron may actually destroy him.

While all those plot points and a few more are covered, the majority of the story is taken up with Kaleb’s training and Leo attempting to increase his ambrosia production. If you’ve been reading the story so far you know that means a lot of kinky, hardcore, sex, with instruments and toys that only a depraved imagination could possibly come up with and Leo (and Adrienne Wilder) has no limit to his imagination when it comes to torturing and tormenting Aaron and Kaleb. The story did verge on too much sex even for me, but then again, we were warned.

There is no question that Leo is determined to keep his vow to protect and keep Kaleb and Aaron, but it’s not only up to him and there are forces that are determined to prevent it. If you weren’t yet convinced that Leo isn’t just a soulless monster, hang in there because in this book he shows just how much he is devoted to Kaleb and it’s as intense as any punishment he can dole out.

Adrienne Wilder has promised depravity and this series absolutely delivers! With Kaleb finally on the road to an understanding of his true nature and sorting out the feelings he has for Leo and Aaron, I am really looking forward to next installment, which is expected to wrap up Leo’s story. The plot feels like it has reached a breaking point and I am invested in seeing just how far Leo and the Chimera will go to protect what is theirs.