Humans are precious on Aerthe.The Mekkers want humans, to sell them, to keep them as toys, to drain them of blood for Factor H, a nutrient they need to survive.Except for Gio.Gio killed the portal maker. Now she is to be broken by Ryke, the King’s Own Lawgiver, a hooded, scarred man who kills people as if they were insects underfoot.She will pay for her sins with her body, spill her secrets, and … her body, spill her secrets, and sob out her misery on Ryke’s f***spears.
The man has his ways and no one has ever escaped being broken.
Clinging to hope, Gio prays she can still save her people.
But is there more to Ryke than torturer extraordinaire?
Deep in the Underdeck of the royal landship he and his new toy, Gio, will wrestle with secrets from his past and maybe, just maybe, discover a way for his despicable people to salvage what’s left of themselves and find peace on Aerthe.
Inspired by the Gor series by John Norman
Warning:
This is a dark story with complete power exchange. If you don’t understand where dark books can go this may not be the story for you.
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The third book in the Machinery of Desire series and this book features Gio and Ryke. This book had a bit of a different feel to it then the other books
Gio, we know as the one who helped the Mekkers to creates portals to bring humans into the world of Aerthe. Now she is taken prisoner. Ryke is tasked with the job to find out more.
Gio and Ryke are fighting a battle of two strong wills. Who will win? They are complex and layered characters and things aren’t always what they seem.
Both of them have secrets and their own agenda of getting what they want. Like any Cari Silverwood book, Ryke uses very inventive and not average methods on Gio to get her to talk, to punish and just because he wants to. That makes it a very interesting read.
And I loved the new droid. They are real characters.
I loved finding out more about the world and how everything worked and connects in ways I didn’t think about before.
I can’t wait to read the next book. .
Ryke and Gio. The Kings Own Lawgiver and ruthless killer, and the Slave who killed the portal mage.
When Ryke rescues Gio from certain death, she realizes he did so for the secrets she harbors.
In the claustrophobic world of the Royal Swathe a dance between political intrigue, Ryke’s very own “interrogation technique”, and the resistance of Gio begins.
This time we learn much more of the inner workings of the Swaths, their population on all levels, their believes and their secrets.
With time and the close proximity between Ryke and Gio their relationship changes slowly, inexorably, and the truth of it fought by both of them.
When the time for the Great Gathering approaches, things come to a head and both their roles change dramatically.
Find out how!!!
The plot deepens
Read as part of the complete Machinery Of Desire series set available from Amazon.
This one took a while to click for me, I didn’t relate to Gio as well as i did to central characters in the previous books, but we got there in the end. I love the world Cari has created here.
We met Gio in book 1 of the series, and I was pleasantly surprised to see her getting her story. Ryke is a ruthless and merciless man, and he knows how to get what he wants, especially from Gio. It’s dark and twisted, yet the conflicting emotions between these two makes them an explosive duo. And their TPE was so gloriously sexy! Gio held it together and fought him every step of the way, bravo for her! I think Ryke’s story is one of redemption, and I really love seeing the transition and changes in him as things progressed. A tainted knight, for sure!
Poor Gio our suffering human heroine in the book and her torturer Ryke who is the anti-hero. The King’s Own Lawmaker in this strange world that Ms Silverwood has created. And torture he does but through it all she is strong enough to keep a piece of herself apart from it all believing that as long as she sees that whatever she must endure is her choice she will survive.
When things change Above forcing Ryke to take her below to the Underdeck things between them seem to change for them as well with Ryke promising to be “nice” well as nice as he can be.
In this strange world the deckers are making Ryke’s mother to be the head of a new religion and Ryke the Prophet adding even more layers to this book.
Follow all of these trails to an interesting conclusion and you will be very happy you chose this book
Book #3, The Machinery of Desire. A return to Aerthe brings magic, horror, and endless possibilities! Cari Silverwood shines!
SPOILER ALERT: WHILE THIS BOOK IS ESSENTIALLY A STANDALONE, THE BACKSTORY OF ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IS PROVIDED IN BOTH ACQUIRED POSSESSION AND CLAIMED POSSESSION, IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THESE BOOKS, THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
Aerthe…beautiful, grotesque, magical, horrific, and a human’s worst nightmare!. When Drette, a mage, reached through the very first portal to Earth and grabbed Gio, she was nothing, the first in a line of humans who became the hottest of commodities. But Gio’s so much more. She, and only she, can make the portals stable. But in doing so, she becomes damned. Hated and reviled by her fellow humans, nothing more than a slave to the Aertheans, she lives a half life between two worlds. Her one dream? Return to Earth. Is that even possible? When she proves it is, her dreams are dashed. In helping Sawyer and Aribelle escape, she’s sealed her own fate. Drette’s now dead by her hand. And the Mekkers don’t take kindly to murder! Beaten, tortured, and sentenced to death, all seems lost. Then comes Ryke. The question is, is he better or worse? As the King’s Own Lawgiver, there are no rules. He’s killed, tortured, unleashed his unique brand of justice on whomever he wishes whenever he wants. And what he wants from Gio is precious beyond measure. Gio’s unlike any other “client” Ryke’s encountered. While Gio’s under no illusions about who Ryke is and what he wants, circumstances soon pit Ryke against the most powerful man short of the king himself. In a desperate ploy, he retreats to the Underdeck with Gio in tow. This is where Ryke’s life began, a place of magic, seemingly endless possibilities. But, unwittingly, both have stepped into a world with the power to destroy them. Badh, Ryke’s brother, now leader of the deckers. is none too happy to see Gio. Slaves aren’t allowed, and death looms again. But there’s far more at stake than an unwanted slave and the King’s Own Lawgiver among the deckers. Circles within circles, plots and hidden agendas lurk around every corner. As Gio’s abilities surface once again, is there a glimmer of hope? Is there be a way for the deckers, indeed all the Mekkers, to finally find peace and acceptance on Aerthe? When the ultimate betrayal forces secrets buried for decades to light, the answers lie within reach. But is anything ever that easy? Nothing of consequence comes without great risk. And the true question is, just how far are Ryke, Gio, the deckers, and indeed all the Mekkers, willing to go for a dream that may just kill them all?
Branded Possession is phenomenal, and Cari Silverwood is brilliant! Aerthe may be an alternate reality filled with wonder, beauty, and magic. But it’s also cruel and unforgiving. Aerthe herself, not the Mekkers, Scavs, grounders, or humans, holds all the power. And that’s the rub. Aerthe hates the Mekkers. She may tolerate the Scavs and grounders. The humans? As yet, an unknown factor. As a result, Aerthe is capable of the most benevolence and violence conceivable. Gio is beyond fascinating. She’s built with layer after layer of complexity. Capable of great strength, cunning, intelligence, and raw power, she’s also adept at hiding her talents. And, as she learns of her true nature, she’s shocked to find facets of herself she never knew existed. Ryke? Cruel, cold, unfeeling, and relentless, he too learns he’s not what he thinks. His is the greater journey of the two, and it’s beyond intriguing. One of the central themes of this story is denial. Denial of these two characters’ very natures, desires, hopes, wishes, and dreams, denial of the possibilities that abound if faith and trust are employed. There’s a level of hatred and animosity that, at times, seems to be self-destructive. At others, there’s a synchronicity that’s seamless in its simplicity. As always, Ms. Silverwood has created people who are deliciously complex yet simultaneously simplistic in the most basic of ways. Another driving theme is the moral ambiguity facing both Ryke and Gio, haunting them. The ending? Totally unpredictable! I was convinced I knew exactly how this book would end. Ms. Silverwood again proved me wrong! I adored this book from beginning to end. Congratulations, Ms. Silverwood! You’ve exceeded all expectations. Once again, you’ve proven just how exceptional you are! Branded Possession deserves far more than five stars!
One final note. Be an informed reader! This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language dark themes, noncon/dubcon sexual scenes, and violence. If you don’t enjoy this genre, this book may not be for you. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon. Use these resources. DON’T LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WON’T ENJOY THE BOOK. It’s not fair to the author! She works very hard to provide a quality work product. If you know you’ll object to a book’s subject matter before you buy it, you’re doing yourself and the author an extreme disservice.
Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!
Passionate – Powerful – Poignant – Perfect
Four Blazing Stars For Possession
Passionate – Powerful – Poignant – Perfect
This picks up with Gio after she has been sentenced for killing Drette
Ryke is assigned as her “jailer”- his job is to get the information by any means necessary .. and boy is he creative
In my opinion out of the three in this series to date – this one had a different tone to it -more emotional – I felt wrung out and exhausted at the end as though I actually was there with them through their journey – It was that good exhaustion
If you enjoy the darker aspects dystopian romance- this series is a definite must read
May I suggest beginning at the beginning – book 1 – Acquired possession
It makes the read much more meaningful and the connection to the characters will be on a deeper level – definitely worth it