I found a wonderful quote by Kafka about books, and couldn't resist posting it here, because it describes exactly the works of XIX.
[image]I think we
I found a wonderful quote by Kafka about books, and couldn't resist posting it here, because it describes exactly the works of XIX.
[image]I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us. If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow on the head, what are we reading it for? [...] We need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us. That is my belief. [image]
There are two things I 'd like to mention before I start to talk about this book:
1**. I would have never read it if I hadn't read Schadenfreude. (Not my genre and blah-blah)
2**. I don't know how my reaction to this book would have been if I hadn't read Schadenfreude (Not my genre and blah-blah)
Means: ** I'll ALWAYS connect the name of the author with his Schadenfreude. Even if he wins the National Book Awards in the future for whatever, he'll be in the first place an author of Schadenfreude for me. (Hats off!)
Means: ** While reading Hero's Torch I couldn't stop to comparing it to Schadenfreude. My rating here and now only shows HOW MUCH MORE I liked Schadenfreude.(A row diamond. A masterpiece.)
I discovered this author OCCASIONALLY. (How happy I am for it!) It's my third and the last book that has been published by XIX. I am a bit sad, because I wish that all writers who have such unique writing skills could be able to make writing to their full-time work and be able to devote themselves fully to writing. I NEED URGENTLY MORE OF THIS KIND OF BOOK.(politically incorrect? NO--> HONEST. REAL. F***G AWESOME). On the other side I'm not sure that a replete and satisfied artist/painter/writer can make something such unusual, provocative, compelling and creative without fearing of a loss of reputation. So...VIVA LA VIDA(?) and thank you, dear author, for not be afraid to write WHAT you WANT and the way you DO IT.
Be aware, my friends - it is not a mainstream novel, not your usual candy f*g story. DON'T READ IT if you're too vanilla. Make a huge detour around it in this case.
Hero's Torch is one of XIX's early work, almost his first written novel, and even if many readers see the parallels between the MCs and the plots here and in Schadenfreude, I have to admit, that in spite of my continuously COMPARING, I don't actually consider those two books similar. In this case all romance books are similar and actually about the same- two humans(or not humans-in a paranormal genre) meet, fall in love and live HEA, right? No no no, Schadenfreude und Hero's Torch ARE different. Starting from the genre, the characters themselves, the dynamic of their relationship and the ending! These two books are different. IMO.
Back to HT.
The plot:
In the post-apocalyptic future there is only one State on Earth- The Republic of Earth, where everything rules by the State and the Church. Where privacy is non-existent, creativity is a crime, and intelligence is a terrible curse. Leander is 14 year old INTELLIGENT boy, who has enough of skills to be hated for by the government and mediocrity, who silently expresses his protest against THEM(big brothers) in his own way blowing things up.
An immortal monster, The Emperor of All Things Unseen, Oberon, who lives thousands light years away from Earth but who has state-of-the-art technology that allows him to reach it pretty quickly, comes to the planet to pick up his next victims (they are always kids) for playing his sadistic games. (An immortal life could be very boring sometimes).
This time it is Leander who is chosen, or better to say, Leander is someone who uncontrollably forces Oberon to chose HIM. WHY? And how can a boy feels this inexplicable strong attachment to the worst monster of all the times like Oberon?
What happens next is not always easy to read, it is disturbing and pretty ugly on pages. Check the warning before you decide to give it a try. Be ready to be shocked and be ready to face a darkness.
Though I can only repeat myself---> Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, you could be rewarded with a powerful unique prose from one of the most talented writers that you don't come across normally too often in your life (IMO) a totally new reading experience.
And it's worth a try.
P.S. Buddy read with Sofia. I wish I had had more time to talk about while reading!!! RL. ...more
It is the most difficult book to review for me since a long time. And it is impossible to say something without giving the essential 4,5 stars!
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It is the most difficult book to review for me since a long time. And it is impossible to say something without giving the essential content away. It is why I won't say too much.
There are books we like a lot while reading them, and then we rate them high and sometimes some months later we can't even remember what they were about.
And there are books that stay with us for a long long time. Even if it's not easy always to put the word "like" talking about their plot.
They touch us in the most unforgettable way, they shake our comfortable reading world in the most provoking and disturbing manner and thereby make our reading experience utterly unique.
Father Figure is one of such books. It is sad and tragic and it is wrong in many feelings it raises, the story is confused and disturbing and seek but - OMG- HOW IT LET US INSIDE THIS LONELY SOUL...it is SO INTENSE, SO EMOTIONAL....SO UNFORGETTABLE!..
You know when you finish a book and just stare at the space in front of you...just stare...just stare....just stare...
This book will stay with me for a long long long time...
What the fuck was that?! Well...that was DIFFERENT!
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I said it already many times when I was talking about the writing of Tod [image][image][image]
What the fuck was that?! Well...that was DIFFERENT!
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I said it already many times when I was talking about the writing of Todd Young and his books. But it was BEFORE Angel . What do I care about my silly talk from before?
THIS...THIS BOOK WAS DIFFERENT.
At first very promising, then irritating, annoying, absurd, disturbing, WTF, WTF, WTF, WTF and then...Then I was grinning and I had this stupid "WTF WAS THAT?!" maniacal grin on my face at the end. You can't see it, but believe me, I have it still.
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My thoughts while reading: OMG, what did he take to write it?! Was he testing a new aphrodisiac creative-writing-drug? Who let him published it under his MAIN name?!
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But you know what - Todd Young has the balls to write always what he wants to write, to stay true his own principals, he has the guts to try to do something a little different than most genre writers and he is a nice person to say, we read our books from our own angle and it is okay if somebody doesn't like his books. It's why I will protect his creativity and his writing style and his unique voice in a gay erotica with all that I am and have.
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Okay. Now about Angel and my angle of the story: [image]
DON'T READ IT [image] You have not read Subject 19. I know there is a note in the preface saying that this is a companion novel to Subject 19, that it is not a sequel and that it could be read as a stand-alone novel.NOOOOO. I would urgently recommend to change the note. YOU HAVE TO READ SUBJECT 19 to understand what it's about. I mean, you don't have a guarantee that you will understand ANYTHING here even if you've read Subject 19, but don't do it without. There are a lot of names, some information that could be irritating if you don't know the story from the very beginning. It's a very friendly advice. (Not to mention that Subject 19 is for me one of the best gay erotica I've read.)
[image] YOU DON'T LIKE THE WORKS of Todd Young. Really, if you have not yet give up the idea to start to like them, it is the wrong book to prove it. You risk that this author will stay a taboo for you forever. Even after your next rebirth. And it is exceedingly pity.
[image] You expect a MM-ROMANCE. Todd Young doesn't write a MM-romance, he writes gay erotica. And not a usual one. Just to let you know, if you have never heard about TY and just saw his books somewhere on the mm-romance shelf.
[image] IT IS YOUR FIRST TY'S BOOK. RUN so quickly you can!!! This book is meant ONLY for the advanced TY's readers!!!
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READ THIS BOOK ONLY IF:
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You like Todd Young's REFRESHING DIFFERENT writing and don't want to miss his new works.
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You have already read EVERYTHING under the names of Todd Young(except this one)+ Joel Lake, Luke King and Adam Ryle. The last one is a big concurrent of Todd Young for me!:)
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You're just a curious creature. And you want some truly original fiction. If not Todd can give it to you then WHO?
So what about the actual plot then? Well, it's not easy to find it, but I can assure you, there is one. It is PARANORMAL and creepy, and it's hidden under so many layers of nonsense, unsexy moments - yes, it is also something totally new for the book of Todd Young! - sex without sex tension!!!- echo-dialogues (I went almost ballistic reading them!!!) [image]
And a bunch of symbols and words and lines a là Todd.
Like:
Angel threw his head back and started at the ceiling, only now understanding that Finn wanted sex and wanted it now. It occured to him that the ceiling could have done with a new coat of paint, but Finn?
or
It was so disorienting, he felt physically ill.
or
Reflexively, he pulled away, both physically and mentally.
or
A shadow slipped across the stone in a preternatural way and he frowned, thinking it was a mouse.
or
They were as hypersexual as bonobos, yet determined to be righteous about the whole thing. Just at the moment, they were doing their utmost to hide from their mates how very attractive they found two or three of the others, while simultaneously being unable to quite achieve this, or fail to let those who they had a sexual inclination for know about it.
And it was the best in the book.
Will I recommend it?
On your own risk.
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Please, Todd, NO SEQUEL!!!!
P.S. [image]
***Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*** ...more
I know now WHY I couldn't find this book anywhere. Because I was looking for Boy Friends by Todd Young. Then I found Boy Frie O.M.G. THE ENDING. [image]
I know now WHY I couldn't find this book anywhere. Because I was looking for Boy Friends by Todd Young. Then I found Boy Friends but under the name of Joel Lake. After I'd checked the profile of the author, I knew that Joel Lake = Todd Young.
O-kay, I thought. It had to be the reason...
I didn't find it.
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But I found this note at the end of the novella:
This book first appeared in 2010, as Boy Friends by Todd Young. It was later republished under the pseudonym Joel Lake as it was felt id didn't fit with Todd's more mainstream work.
Who did F*G say it?! I would fire the manager.
IT IS SOOOOOO TODD!!! Is it possible to republish it under the name of Todd Young again?!
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WRITING OF TODD YOUNG, DON'T READ IT.
[image] DNF it or skip the most of the story, say WTF at the end and forget a
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WHAT A CRAZY RIDE!
There are only two ways to deal with this book:
[image] DNF it or skip the most of the story, say WTF at the end and forget about.
[image] Being sucked into the story, swallowed by the creepy imagine world created by Todd Young, having no idea what happens on the next page, saying more than 100 times WTF during reading and WOW at the end.
If you didn't get it - I am from the second group. And now it's officially: I am a big fan of Todd Young .
I don't know another author who can write this kind of mind-BLOWING and mind-FUCKED erotica.
[image] WARNING: not for fans of a sweet MM romance.
I normally recommend to get a sample to find out if a book is for you or not, but it is totally useless if it is your first Todd Young.
DOESN'T MATTER what you'll think after finishing it, it is not what you think it is.
Okay, it's one of these books that totally surprised me because it is NOT what I expected.
It started like fluffy-WTF-easy-PWP or, better to say, I TH
Okay, it's one of these books that totally surprised me because it is NOT what I expected.
It started like fluffy-WTF-easy-PWP or, better to say, I THOUGHT it would be something like this while reading the first 10%, and I was even VERY close to put it aside and then....BANG!!!... a sudden twist in the story. AND I was in. C-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y.
I don’t know who is more impressed here: me or a little part of me.
Probably both of us.
Yep, exactly, both of us are deeply impressed.
*and it is abso
I don’t know who is more impressed here: me or a little part of me.
Probably both of us.
Yep, exactly, both of us are deeply impressed.
*and it is absolutely not what I expected
*and it is simply much better than I expected
*and it is exactly WHY both of us, I mean me and this naughty part of me, ARE DEEPLY IMPRESSED.
Archer holds up the dripping sound. “So you did like it, hmmmm? I knew you would.” I think like is the wrong word. Frighting. Intense, maybe. Not like.
And arousing. Yep. EXTREMELY. And fucking wrong at the same time. And kinky. And in spite of everything- very good. Yep. surprisingly good An ingeniously written mindfucked erotica.
Well done, Cari!!!!!!
******my voice out of the weird headspace......
........and me.....
.....floating on the gentle sea of sensation and pleasure.........******
The book is well written and I understand everybody who can't put it down. It could be an addictive read if you like an extremBetween 2,5 and 3 stars.
The book is well written and I understand everybody who can't put it down. It could be an addictive read if you like an extremely dark disturbing mind-fucked erotica. Normally that is one of my favorite genres too. But I decided for myself after reading the second sequel to stop.
I need my light at the end of the tunnel. I don't see it here.
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And as I have already explained to one of my GR friends Lisa, I need another level of love relationship, an intense love between brothers is not enough for me.
Having a little brother myself-you have to see this almost 1.90 m muscled bulk now-I react very sensitively to this topic, because I played this art of protector's role in our childhood too, and I do not just read about Mat's feelings, I LIVE them and it is hard, every single line breaks my heart, that is unbearable for me. More- I don't see the sense of the story. It looks like an endless description of their sufferings, sexual humiliation, physical and mental abuse, brutal tortures that lead NOWHERE.
Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone?
It is your own choice to decide if this book is one for you or not.
Boo! It was heavy. Even for me. It was good written, no doubt. But the story....P 2,5 abused shocking stars.
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Certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Boo! It was heavy. Even for me. It was good written, no doubt. But the story....Poor guys!.. How I hated myself for not be able to put it down!..
Though as I had seen that there were already 10 parts of this series- at least it was on the 27 September 2013 - I've got a bit confused. Do I really want to read all this depressive stuff?! I don't have a certain answer to this question. Not yet. But I'll read the next part. Definitely.
I unquestionably love this Book 3 in Dark Soul series!
I loved t4,6 EXTREMELY HOT DIRTY STARS!
WOW! HOLY HELL!!WHAAAAAAT DID I JUST READ ?!
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I unquestionably love this Book 3 in Dark Soul series!
I loved the dynamics between Stefano and Silvio in the previous sequels, but having Franco, he brother of Silvio, in the third part was absolutely ..ahhhh..kinky(?!), twisted(?!), perverse(?!). It was MIND-BLOWING!!!
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Oh, Aleks! His writing continues to amaze me every time I start a new book from him. I am not sure that I can recommend this series and especially this Book 3 to EVERYBODY because there are enough elements in it that some people may consider as taboo.
But. If you love men. (I do) If you love sex. (I do) If you can handle some taboos like (view spoiler)[Incest (hide spoiler)] (I do sometimes) You will enjoy it. (I hope)
It is simply soooo much fun!
Once you started you won't be able to put it down.
[image] Do you think I am immoral and obscene because I enjoy the series so much?!
Because it is a way MUCH MUCH MORE THAN JUST 5 STARS!
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I won't say WOW!
Because it is not enough.
Because it sounds trivially. banally, GENERALLY.
Because it is a way we use to talk about the books that we enjoyed, a kind of telling, "Hey, here is something that you have to read!"
This book is brutal and row. It is distressing and cruel. It is dramatic. It is intense. It is mesmerizingly insane. It is painfully beautiful. It is disturbingly poetical. It is captivating. It is incredibly hot. It is intriguingly fateful. It is highly emotional . It is heavenly engaging. It is very graphical, no matter if it is sex or violence scenes. It is DIFFERENT. It is AMAZING. It is STUNNING.
IT IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!
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This book is everything but not trivial, not banal, not USUAL.
This book has turned my world upsides down.
This book is like a revelation for me.
This book has emotionally drained, exhausted me.
This book changed my life.
I am lost. I am lost. I am lost. I am lost...
It was the greatest and the best reading experience I have ever had.
I have just discovered my favorite genre. Who could imagine it some days ago? Definitely not me.
I have just discovered the next one of my favorite authors and his name is Aleksandr Voinov. His writing is addictive, provoking, intense, real!.. From now on I am going to read everything he has already wrote and everything he'll write.
Vadim and Dan, soviet Speznaz and SAS soldier, they stole my heart. FOREVER. The character to die for... Their ways crossed 1980. Kabul. The Afghan war. The Cold war. Two enemies. From hate to love.
"There’s no glory in this whole shit. No war is ever glorious. Heroes are usually dead. Besides, they rarely turn into heroes because they are super-humans, but because of circumstances. Heroes rarely think. Heroes just act. So, all this is, is a stage for glory, small, personal and up to each one of us."
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My Dan...
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My Vadim...
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...the first year they met...
Incredibly fascinating love story. Honest. Real. Authentic. Aroused. Exciting. Great.
"He’d do anything, absolutely everything for this man, suck him, kill, kill himself, run away, be something else, anything else, everything just blurred, darkness, a place inside that only held him and Dan. Nobody else, nothing else, no time, no place, no affiliations, no past, no future."
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"When you're like this, Vadim, I want to own you, and taste you, burrow all the way into your body until I feel so much it fucking hurts and your scent clings to every pore. I want to hurt you, tear you apart, fuck you until you plead and scream and bleed, and all that, because I can never get enough of you."
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"If all they had was Afganistan, then he'd make it bloody worth it."
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"I’d die for you, Dan. No questions asked." "No, Vadim. No." Dan’s dark eyes were unforgivingly intense. "You must not die for me, not ever. You must live for me, you understand?"His fingertips rested on Vadim’s face. "Give me your word, you will live for me, whatever happens. Even if I never see you again. I need to believe that somewhere, out there, you are alive."
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"Dan didn’t want to say anything, but the words were unstoppable. “I fucking love you. Don’t leave me. You’ve got to find me.” Again, fucking tears. Vadim shook his head, then pressed his face into the crook of Dan’s shoulder, hoped to hide his weakness and felt like a man condemned to die. "I will... find you. If it’s the last thing I’ll do, I’ll come back. Nothing will stop me."
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My reviews are always my emotions. I don’t describe a plot. Just two words: READ IT.
IT WAS FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!!!!!
P.S I have to add something that is very important. There are so many versions of the different parts of the trilogy. And I have maybe to correct my review according authors. I have no idea how a writing duo works but if the result look like THAT, I have no objection. GREAT JOB, Marquesate and Aleksandr!!!...more
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