I actually didn't want to review this particular book of Lee's because I left the genre that is erotica a time ago but since these were short novels and it was the only one in the trilogy that I hadn't read.  I thought I'd go ahead and read it, which to my discovery was not the most fabulous of ideas.  

I did like and understood the evolution of Shanyin's character throughout the series which was very surprising to me.  I was not the biggest fan of Princess Shanyin in the beginning.  However, I did grow to understand and like her as I continued reading despite the graphic sex throughout the trilogy.  

Yet in Enslavement, this is a book that must be read with caution and I added spoiler alert because I am warning people before they read that the sex is very graphic and there is rape involved.  Not many can stomach reading.. which I cannot, but part of me understands why it was in there considering the characters and the storyline.  

Needless to say, this was not my favorite book read to date.  But if whomever is reading this does want to read it, go with caution and know that you've been warned.

Synopsis ~

"One world. One currency. One bright future."

That's the promise made by OneEarth Bank after a global economic collapse--but only for those who accept the insertion of a commerce chip.

When Rielle's parents refuse to comply, government officials tear her family apart. As punishment for her parent's crimes, Rielle is forced into a Community Service Contract--a legalized form of slavery--and sold to a wealthy, abusive banker.

The Banker's secrets hold the key to Rielle's freedom, but will she risk prison or even death to escape and search for her family?

My thoughts ~

"One world. One currency. One bright future."

Sounds just peachy, uh? Simplicity at its best. I mean who wouldn't want a simpler world?  No need to carry around cash, checks or credit cards.  Nope, just a small chip inserted into your body and you are good to go.  Want that new iPod or big screen TV?  No problem.  Just pick out your item and walk out the door.  That little chip inside your body takes care of all the little details.  Oh yeah, that little chip?  It also tracks your every single movement.  Big Brother at its best.

But say you don't want that chip?  Say you don't want to conform to the "One world. One currency. One bright future."  frame of thinking?  Well, you get marked as a 'Resistor'.  Life for you as a Resistor is not an easy life.  You can't get a job, so you don't have any money.  And you are not trusted.  And the most horrible thing of all, you are in constant fear that Bank Security officers will come in and take you away.  Take your children.  Take your belongings.  And this is where this story begins.

Reille James' world is not an easy one.  Her parents resist conforming to the One World system.  So while her friends have everything they desire, Reille does not.  She just doesn't get why her parents don't want an easier life.  She just wants them to get the commerce chip inserted.  If they would just do that one little thing, they would  start living a normal life again. One day though, everything changes.  Bank Security Officers swarm their house looking for evidence that the family is part of the Resistors Group.  Because of the parents rebellion against the system, Rielle, along with her sister and brother are taken from their home and separated.  Her brother Silas is taken to a reform camp and her sister is taken into the equivalent of Child Protective Services.  Rielle is forced into being a "Contract" which is basically enslavement for crimes Bank Security has condemned her for.  "The Banker" buys her at a bargain price because of her lack of skills.  The only thing she is really good at is playing the piano, but that is not a skill set that is desired.  Her job now is housekeeping for "The Banker", who is a mean, violent man.  If not for Rielle's fellow "Contracts", life would be a lot worse.  As it is, she has a roof over her head and small tasteless meals provided as long as she stays on the good side of "The Banker".  But "The Banker " is up to something and this something is huge and Rielle holds the key that could unravel everything.  As secrets are exposed, allies are made and life hangs on the balance, this story gets wickedly good and will keep you enthralled until the very end.

The premise of this book really piqued my interest and I knew that I just had to read this book.  If you have any knowledge of the book of Revelations, then you know what the future holds for this planet.  Maybe not our immediate future, but the future no doubt.  In my opinion, Enslavement incorporates this theory in such a brilliant way, but not so much that it seems preachy.  So if you are anti-religion, don't worry, this book will not offend you nor try to sway you one way or the other. What this unique and enjoyable read will do though is capture your imagination to explore this all too possible situation with secrets, lies, deception and the desire for freedom and life without rigid government controls.  I loved all the characters, especially the ones you are suppose to hate.  Each one is uniquely different and makes this an outstanding story.  The writing is solid and the plot believable.  Enslavement is a must read and is appropriate for just about any age group.  I can not wait to see where the author takes this outstanding story and the second installment simply can't get here quick enough for me.....I want it now!

5 stars for this must read story from a talented new author!

Set in the future, after our world has gone through an economic disaster and been rebuilt with a new government and a mandatory type of currency, this book felt more like a realistic fiction piece than a dystopia.  The world is basically the same as it was before, but with the difference of everyone needing to be chipped and that's how things are paid for.  Like any government, you have those for it, those against it and those that take things as they are without thinking into it.

The story and characters the author has presented is some ways parallel that of history. People are enslaved because they are different, being bought and sold like a commodity, stripped of ;basic rights and liberties and made to act a certain way by their owners.  This story is told from the POV of a teenage girl, Rielle, on the brink of adulthood, whose parents refused to conform to what they government wanted and in turn the government has torn the family apart.

Put into the job as a housekeeper, Rielle does what she is told to do with a small bit of defiance on her own part that carries it's own weight.  The reader learns the daily toll of those who are Contracts for the Banker.  We also learn secrets along that way that creates a heavy burden on those with them.  Each character has his or her own story which comes out in bits and pieces here and there.

This was an interesting read.  It really made me think about different things.  It also drove me a bit crazy because Reille didn't really put up a fight.  She put up walls and eventually let certain people in, who helped guide her to the end result, but I felt there should have been more action from her.

I recommend this to anyone who likes to read books about where our society could find itself in the future.  The way our lives could change due to crooked politicians and government dangling a carrot in our faces at times of major upheaval and the outcomes of that.  A very insightful book from a debut author.  I look forward to reading more in this series and whatever else the author writes.

Book #2 in the Jeannie Lin/Liliana Lee Princess Shanyin trilogy. This one is noticeably darker. The writing is fabulous though. I also love that Shanyin is a bit of an anti-heroine.  She's not ashamed of herself or how she lived her life. Yet, in this story, she confronts how she had tried to hide from what was happening with the emperor and at court. As worldly as she is, she was naive about what was going on in her own harem.

Trigger warning: This story had some dubious consent scenes, along the lines of Shanyin said no, but her body said yes. Ugh. Not unusual for some erotica but it was there. Just a warning. It is with one particular character (named Tai), so those scenes could be avoided. 

Other than that, have Book #3 ready to go because the end of this one will have you ready to grab it to keep reading.

Out of the Woods by Syd McGinley My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Recommended for: Open minded fans of M/M & and Dystopia/Apocalypse fiction
Read from March 26 to 31, 2014 — I own a copy, read count: 1

A Captivating Story of the Taming of a Free-spirited Wild Boy in a Post-Apocalypse Totalitarian Society

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Out of the Woods. It is a pleasure to watch the unique and original storyline unfolds as I tried my best to solve the mysteries surrounding the woodland boys and the men from the Before Times buildings. I pondered on why the men would hunt the boys each Fall? Why would new younger boys kept appearing in the woods skipping and singing. Are these new boys replacements for all those older ones which the men took with them? Where on earth did they come from when there's not a woman in sight? And lastly, why the men honour the Mothers greatly whereas the wood boys idolizes the Lady? These are only part of the mysteries found within the book and I am going to leave a theory of mine towards the end of this review on a major mystery everyone is dying to know. I am going to take my own shot at uncovering the layers of veils for that much speculated mystery.

These mysteries made Out of the Woods a highly compelling story. Apart from this there are other positive areas such as the well crafted characters that are engaging and relatable, amazing world-building with intriguing societal setup and exciting plots that super-glued me to the book.

Each of the characters have their own distinctive personality. And they are all memorable in their own way. This is especially true with Tarin our much adored protagonist. Tarin is a contented wild child of the woodland. His free-spirited ways with his valiant heart and plucky nature won me over. There is an endearing sweet innocent that surrounds him. He is also the character that made this story a whole lot of fun! His guileless approach to his new surroundings in the men's settlement resulted in many hilarious situations. Tarins says the darndest things! He tickles my funny bone countless times with his silly antics. He might appear to be clueless most of the times, yet there are times where he is wise beyond his years. I love him to bits.

The atmospheres at the men's settlement is always buzzing and alive with activities. Their daily lives are fascinating to me. Watching the men trying to reconstruct a civilized society based on what was left behind after what I think was an apocalypse destruction was thought-provoking.

Although there is only one antagonist in this story, I would say he wasn't the biggest threat to our protagonist or to his friends. It was men's greed for power and over ambitiousness of maintaining absolute control over others that made many suffered unfairly. This was nothing but outright tyranny and enslavement in the guise of protection and safety. Hence I reckon this issue as the predominant threat to Tarin and the boys.

The men adopted to a totalitarian societal setup that bears strong resemblance to a militarian organization. They are segregated by ranking and entitled to certain benefits according to their ranks. While the boys will always be boys; they do not have any authority or any actual autonomy. (I am unsure if this is a spoiler, but I decided to hide it to be on the safe side. So explore at your own risk)

This hierarchical system promotes powerplay that encourages oppression of the weakest. While I am fascinated by this societal structure, I am also repulsed by the harsh treatments of the boys because of it. As the judicial system was only made up by several of the top guns, the men are inevitably favored.


MY THEORIES ON THIS UNIQUE MALE DOMINATED WORLD:

MY CONCLUSIONS:
Out of the Woods is certainly a character and plot driven story. There are many intriguing aspects in the lives of these men and boys to keep the wheels in my brain spinning endlessly churning out one speculation after another. I always appreciate books that made me think, helps keep my brain from rusting away. Heh.

Sex was sparse and low key. I was quite surprised it wasn't heavy on the sex as the men and the boys are all pretty hedonistic in nature. Don't fret though, because gifts (that's what they called jism/cum) are flying everywhere 'all the time' despite the lack of penetration.

I had SO much fun trying to try to figure out all those new words used to describe Before Times stuff, for example the 'silver duck', 'divid' and 'go-sloshes'. It's quite funny once you get what they actually meant.

I didn't spend time to talk about Tarin's relationship with his man because I wish to focus on the uniqueness of the setting and also to share my impression of the story as a whole. If you must know, the romance aspect wasn't the core of this story. It is more like a sub-plot. Tarin and Garrick did have a rocky beginning and they both have to work out their priorities before their relationship could take the next step. Yes, Garrick is a good man at heart and his patient and caring ways made him suitable for Tarin.

The focus of the story is really on Tarin's struggles on fitting in with the men's civilized community and his effort to find himself again in a strange world he was thrown into. It wasn't an easy feat and he was fighting them every steps. Everything felt wrong to him, his beliefs was scorned, his will and freedom was forcefully taken away from him. His only hope for survival is his submission. In the men's eyes Tarin is just a savage that needed to be tamed and to learn his place amongst the men.

I know some readers might find the woodland boys to be too childlike and dislike the story because the boys' peculiar behaviour would make the men appears like perverted geezers pawing on the kids. Nevertheless I am excusing this odd behavior of the boys because they have essentially lived in seclusion ever since young and devoid of adult attentions or exposure to the civilized world. Therefore it is highly plausible for them to retain their innocence and to displays such level of naivety akin to a young child just on the onset of puberty despite being in their late teens years. Hell! the boys can't even speak properly, they lack vocabulary and grammatical knowledge to make their dialog mature.

All this makes sense to me and I am glad the author has the wisdom to depict these special boys with such strange situations realistically. In fact, I would commend the author for her superb skill at bringing to life such a difficult character to portray, as the main character. Making him an engaging character who not only charmed the readers but carried the storyline effortlessly was an amazing feat.

I wish I could tell you more but I do not want to spoil the story for you. Do read this with an open mind if you wish to gain more than just a capture-captive story. I loved it so much that I picked up the sequel right after putting this book down and finished the second book in record breaking time.

If you wish to explore more of Tarin's world, you might want to check out the author's page dedicated to this wonderful book: TARIN'S WORLD (it is very informative and I really appreciate the author's effort on putting it up. How I wish other books I've ever read has such a page for the readers)



BOOK DETAILS:
Title: Out of the Woods
Author: Syd McGinley
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Torquere
Type: Novel, 80,349 words (approximate)
Genre: Post-apocalypse and Dystopian M/M Fiction, Science Fiction-Futuristic
Main Characters:

Tags/Keywords: 

Description:
Wild boy Tarin is determined not to be captured by the men who live in the decaying Before Times buildings on the other side of Tarin's woodland home, but he's just as determined to protect the younger boys in the woods. No one remembers being a child or knows where all the women have gone or how society crumbled, but for as long as they can remember, boys have lived in the woods and are hunted by the men each Fall. Some boys believe in a mysterious Lady who protects them, while others think the men are magic. Tarin knows better - he's met a man, and escaped by stabbing him. Hunted through the woods as he tries to protect the weaker Cory, Tarin is trapped and claimed by the very man he knifed. All Tarin wants is to stay in the woods and not have to get 'civilized,' but he's carried off into a different world of rules and discipline. Will he be able to survive now that he is Out of the Woods?


Excerpt found on Publisher's website:

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* Reviewed on April 10th, 2014

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