Product Description

Palin leads a well-ordered life, needing peace and quiet after spending his days working as an information broker, reading minds for money. Which is why Tigre seems like such a strange choice for him as a lover. When Palin sees vala Tigre in one of his mindreading forays, he knows he has to have him, despite the fact that the man has been created for two purposes; fighting and pleasure. Together they build a new life, one of pleasure and pain, of love and discipline. When life threatens to tear them apart, they fight to keep the home they’ve created, even if the obstacles they must overcome are within as much as without.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #815112 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

Review

Julia Talbot, popular Torquere Press Author, and Cynthia B. Potts, editor of the upcoming anthology Play Ball, have both reviewed Caged.

Julia Talbot writes: Palin has a talent for seeing into the minds of others, a talent that usually earns him money but little personal satisfaction. When he sees Tigre in a client's thoughts, though, he knows he's found something he wants.

Tigre is a nameless vala, or sex-slave, when Palin finds him and takes him home. It's a whole new world for him at Palin's home, a whole new set of rules, and he struggles to come to terms with the man he is now set to serve.

On the surface, Caged is a standard master-slave story, with some hot sex, some light S&M and a easy to read storyline. It's when you read deeper that you find out what a great story it is. There's deep emotion here, not only between the two main characters, but working against them too. All of it is wrapped up in the fierce, strange world Sean Michael has created, where men are not just men, and not everyone is created equal. There are scenes in Caged that just make you want to cry, and some that make you laugh out loud.

Ultimately, this book is not just satisfying erotica. It really leaves you thinking.

Michael does a great job here. The atmosphere is very realistic, and the world occupied is interesting enough that I'd like to read more. Conflicts are hinted at throughout, with the final pivotal scene delayed almost beyond bearing. Were not the intimate encounters that proceeded it so well done, the pacing would have been excruciating. But as it turns out, everything is just right. Paranormal and futuristic elements are handled in a refreshingly matter of fact style. Fans of leather will find plenty to please them, with some charming power games and darker pleasures delivered masterfully.

Customer Reviews

Highly creative and strangely touching M/M BDSM.
This is a great one from Sean. The backdrop is a futuristic world. Sean's words may be simple but it is effective as he subtly describes a dangerous, inhumane and bleak world, where there is no equality.
Palin is an information broker or mind reader by trade and belongs to the privileged and affluenced. Yet he is feared and despised like a plague due to his gift. Tigre is a genetically engineered sex slave, trained to fight and for violent pleasures. How these 2 completely contrasting characters come together and build a dom/sub relationship on faith, trust and love is an engrossing and strangely stirring read. The development of their relationship is all the more amazing as Palin, the dom, is gentle, small in stature and stutters while Tigre who only knows violence and pain could easily kill with a stroke. The sex is hot, certain BDSM scenes pretty dark yet Sean also manages to inject sweet and deeply emotional moments as these 2 lonely souls find solace and love in/with each other. Strongly recommended!

Caged
This was a very good futuristic story (though not necessarily Earth's future). The premise is unique in that Tigre, bio-engineered to fight and provide pleasure, cannot function beyond these two constraints. For example, Tigre has a moment of crisis when Palin give shim a name. he does not know how to handle it. Palin must help Tigre learn to be more than this, and along the way he will discover secrets about himself. A touching story, despite the BDSM tone.

This was unlike any of the other writings I have read by Sean Michael. If you are not a fan of the Jarheads series, give this a try. And, if you are a fan, give this a try:)

Touching story of love and devotion
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 9/10

PROS:
- The circumstances surrounding Palin and Tigre's meeting and subsequent development of a relationship are great. Every other character in the story warns Palin that buying Tigre is a bad idea, but Palin just ignores them all and does what he wants.
- The blossoming of Tigre is just beautiful. I loved the scenes from his POV because he starts out so timid and confused, and once he begins to believe that he belongs to Palin for good, he loosens up and embraces his roles as both Palin's protector and Palin's lover.
- Hot sex with some BDSM flavoring. It's not anywhere near as severe as I've seen, and many of the BDSM scenes are told from the bottom's POV, so although he's experiencing pain, the reader can see that his enjoyment is foremost.
- Interesting setting. I say this about most fantasies I read because I don't read many, but I really enjoyed the combination in this story of normal elements from the real world (like watching TV and going to the supermarket to pick out fruit) and unusual/fantastical elements unique to the story.
- I worried when I started reading that I would get annoyed with Palin's stuttering, but it's used to good effect throughout the story. Without ruining anything, I'll just say this: there are certain circumstances under which Palin loses his stutter altogether, and I loved that. (There's also a particular word he never has trouble saying.)

CON:
- Pretty big plot hole(s) toward the end of the book. Palin gets attacked at one point, and we're never told who ordered the attack or specifically why it happens. And then very shortly after that, Palin has to prove himself in a particular way (which he does swimmingly), but I didn't understand WHY he had to do it. I've convinced myself that the two events are related, but I don't remember the book connecting the dots.

Overall comments: The holes in the plot are on the serious side, but I liked the romantic element so much that I'm pretty happy to overlook them. There's a lot of sex, as is common to all of Michael's books, but this story portrays a deeper emotional connection than most of this author's works.