Review: Enslaved by Sydney Somers

Enslaved

Author: Sydney Somers

Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1605042579
Purchase Information:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

For more information please visit Sydney Somers's website.

She's got him right where he wants her. Dominion sentinel Kaela Garrett will go to any lengths to gather evidence against a suspected traitor, even if it means auctioning off her body to the highest bidder. Posing as a slave should have been the perfect cover to gain access to an exclusive gala. Only she hadn't anticipated a sexy treasure salvager with a grudge outbidding everyone--including her mark--to possess her. Lorcan Hunt can't believe the very sentinel who had him arrested six weeks ago is on the auction block, completely at his mercy. What better way to get even--and pass the time until his next job--than force her to submit to every new and wicked revenge he can imagine? His every demand for her submission, however, comes with a price: a burning need that slides under his skin and grows stronger with every concession she makes. When Kaela finally gives in to the fierce desire between them, Lorcan finds himself hopelessly caught in an impossible choice. Honor the commitment binding him to his next job--or hold onto the one woman he can never have. This book contains a fiery battle of wills, the frequent use of restraints, seductive escape attempts and the kind of hot, explicit take-you-to-the-edge sex that comes only from complete surrender--heart, body and soul.

Review:

Enslaved, by Sydney Somers, was a little difficult to get into for me. I'm not exactly sure why either, which is more then a little bothersome. Normally, I have a very defined reason that I can give, but this time it wasn't anything specific. In fact, I thought the story was actually quite good and the premise really appealed to me.

Perhaps it had something to do with the main character of the novel, Kaela. While she is nicely written, I just felt she was a bit underwhelming. Even though she is strong willed, she lacks any true fight and honestly I felt she lacked any real emotions. This was in large part due to her under developed character. Because she isn't given a really defined history and prior experience, it made her emotions seem lacking and thus made it hard to give her a clear definition in my mind. In truth, I was more captured by Lorcan, who was comparatively much deeper. His history is nicely developed as are his feelings towards the Sentinel. His reservations about keeping her and his suspicion of her trying to play him are much more vividly portrayed then Kaela's feined hatred of him.

Really, it was their relationship together that kept me reading. Because of the situation they find themselves in theirs is a relationship that is forged in fire. Initially, it starts off rather bitter with Kaela searching for a way to escape desperate to fulfill her mission, which is another aspect that troubled me due to the fact she never really gives her job more then passing thought. Then she comes to find she is attracted to Lorcan and that ends up building into something more. Lorcan though is the one most evolved in his desire for Kaela. He starts the story with very shallow and spiteful reasons for buying her at a slave auction knowing exactly who and what she is. Yet, his sense of want and desire towards her spurs him on. Throughout the story, he comes to like his time with the feisty woman and becomes enamored with her, not wanting to be separated. In the end, Kaela comes to feel the same way and I loved the timidity of that realization. It was somehow the most honest emotion throughout the novel. Yet, while their relationship is interesting at times it still felt a bit rigid, like it was half formed. For instance, Kaela's loathing of Lorcan is never really explored. She had no real reason other then she thinks he's a criminal because she arrested him. It never really goes past that. She never followed up, just passed the case along and labeled him. So when they are reunited, the feeling of dislike is very faint, like an echo of an emotion.

The world, however, I found to be quite unique and enjoyable. The science fiction elements were interesting and I loved the settings of the story. In truth, this is a world I would love to see revisited. It has an edge akin to 'Firefly' with an adult twist and the aspects of space salvage and space pirate were just plain fun! I would have liked to see a bit more of it explored along with the characters simply because of it's appeal.

This was a good story, but I admit I was expecting something a bit more. Maybe if the novel has a follow up we can see more of Kaela's personality, which I believe would have added a lot to the story, making it a bit more balanced. And honstely, the way the novella ended, I would enjoy seeing the relationship grow because the real spark of chemistry didn't really happen for me until the last few chapters. So much there to be explored!

Overall, this was a quick, fun read, but I was left wanting a bit more from the characters. But, despite that I really did enjoy the world Somers created and would love to see future novellas taking place within it.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Scars

  

Advisory: Sexual Content