When James says to Max that he is the devil, Max answers: "Try me, Satan!" With these words, Max agrees to be trained by James to become a slave. This apprenticeship will prove to be more a hard mental training than a sexual one.
Brilliant, Master James succeeds to convince Max's parents to accept this initiation to slavery.
Once trained to meet all his master's whims, Max will be sold. Deeply in love with his master/trainer, Max will accept his fate.
Far from being a descent into hell, this training will structure Max's life and allow him to make his way in this BDSM universe.
In a word: Fascinating.
First off, this is not, in any way, a romance. There is no HEA. I guess you can say there's sort of a HFN... but I wouldn't even go that far.
But still: FASCINATING.
The beginning of Max's story sets up his sexual experiences, as well as his need to please others and to always challenge himself, at a very young age. There's a lot of background and buildup to what he'll one day become. So, when he walks into physical training and starts eying his teacher, we know where he's coming from. Kind of. It was really hard for me to wrap my brain around what was happening to this 17 year old boy. Anyway, his teacher takes notice of Max and sees something special in him. He sees Max's need to always be better and to always be challenged. Heh. Well, he has a challenge for him, he does.
Max is in slave training with his teacher, James, during the school year, but once he turns 18 it becomes serious. Oh, I couldn't help but sympathize and then want to strangle his parents. They knew what he was choosing to do instead of college. They knew! And did nothing! I can't even... *shudders* I guess they tried to be there for their son (especially the dad) but they thought they couldn't help him. Uuuhhh... that's what the police are for! *shakes head* Anyway...
Slave in Training is in a contemporary setting, so this whole secret slave trade is done under the radar. But the slaves are able to leave at any time they please. Max is not being held against his will. Quite the opposite, the boy loves it. He revels in it. He worships his master and there's nothing he wouldn't do for him. Nothing. Besides calling him Master, Max also refers to James as his God. I believe he meant this wholeheartedly. His Master was his everything.
But Max isn't being trained for James. He's being trained to sell. And his training is harsh.
I would have gone 5 hearts, all the way, if not for the gruesome details of his training and his test. It was horrible to read but, yet, I couldn't look away. But some of it was unnecessary, like it was there just for shock value instead of moving the plot forward.
His Master was harsh, but I feel that he loved Max. He wasn't perfect and there are times I wish he would have stepped in (especially when it came to Jean and Jerry *glares*) but it all proved Max's deep, deep desire to exceed at being a good slave for not only his master, but anyone who might want to use him.
Like I said, Max and his deep reverence and love for his Master was fascinating. The fact that he was treated so harshly and could leave whenever he wanted but didn't just boggles my brain. I can't wrap my head around that kind of thinking. And yet, it was so damn believable. The writing was superb.
I wouldn't recommend this to everybody. Hell, I don't know that I'd recommend this to anybody. Read the blurb. Read the reviews. Read the tags. It's one that almost hurts to read, but it just hurts so good.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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