The Flesh Cartel #4: Consequences ~ Book Review ~ @RiptideBooks

Title: The Flesh Cartel #4: Consequences
Author: Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau
Publisher: Riptide
Publication Status: Available 4 Feb 2013
Genre: action/thriller, contemporary, drama, erotica, horror
Themes: non-consent, slave/kidnap, abuse, LGBT
ISBN: 978-1-937551-73-5
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

From the Publisher:

In episode four of The Flesh Cartel, Mat and Dougie Carmichael begin their training with their new master, Nikolai, where they both learn the meaning of servitude . . . and of consequences for their choices.

For Mat, destined to be trained but not broken—to always fight but never win—life with Nikolai is suffering stacked on suffering. Nikolai pushes him to the edge but not over; he must never lose the hatred in his eyes. Dougie, on the other hand, is fated to love and crave service. For that, Nikolai must teach him the pleasures of a pampered sex slave, but training a straight man to revel in his gay captor’s touch is no easy feat.

As if the challenges Mat and Dougie face aren’t difficult enough, one last complication remains: before either brother can submit fully to Nikolai, they must first give up their strongest, most powerful loyalty: their dedication to each other.

My View:

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
~Newton's Third Law

While The Flesh Cartel #4: Consequences does not deal in physics, the concept still applies. As we found out in Episode 3 of the Flesh Cartel series from Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau even slaves have Choices. However, the consequences of those choices just might be enough to render your "choice" mute. In this episode of the ongoing saga and Mat and Dougie, we found out just how much those Choices can cost the brothers.

Episode 4 picks up right were 3 left off. The brothers are now with their new owner/trainer Nikolai, but he is working his magic to try to break their most sacred bond, that of brotherhood. His methods with each brother may be different, but they are both extreme. I often found myself wishing that Mat and/or Dougie would break just so they wouldn't have to suffer any more at the hand of their captors. Then I find myself wondering why in the hell I would think that.

What gets me about the Flesh Cartel series is that, while it is a work of fiction, the subject matter is not. Human trafficking is a real problem and there are real men, women, and children suffering at the hands of Men and Women like Nikolai and Madame. The Flesh Cartel series looks at one possible scenario. Each book is only 60-80 pages long, but I think they are the perfect length. They deal in some very heavy non-consent, kidnapping, brain-washing, and other topics. Any longer and you get dragged under with the story, you need to be able to come up for air every once in a while. It highly recommend this series. If you have not been following the series, I recommend starting at the beginning so you know just what Dougie and Mat have lost.

I would like to thank Riptide for providing me with the eARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.