“All I want is a puppy for my baby boy. That’s all. Just a good puppy for my boy. The better you behave, the happier you’ll be.”When Cammy’s Daddy asked him if he wanted a puppy, he expected the fluffy, four-legged kind. Instead, he finds that his Daddy meant something else entirely… and he isn’t sure what to think of the new addition to the household.Zay’s life might not have been perfect, but … have been perfect, but it was still better than being kidnapped and sold. When his new Master tells him he’s going to be Cammy’s puppy, he has to decide just what he’s going to do…
Please note that Gilded Cages is a dark book. It contains themes that may be offensive or triggering to some readers.
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When I write a review, I usually wait until I’ve finished the book before getting started on the reviewing process. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t the case for R. Phoenix’s audiobook, Gilded Cages. Despite not being a big fan of Zachary Zaba, I was enthralled by the story he was telling me. I enjoyed Zachary’s narrative for Guilded Cages. The characters and plot of the prose were so thought-provoking I had to start scribbling my thoughts down to retain initial reactions.
There are three main characters that this book focuses on; Daddy/Master, Camden/Cammy, and Isaiah/Zay. They are all extremely different from one another personality-wise which was refreshing for me. I like being able to distinguish between the characters easily no matter whose point of view I’m experiencing the story through. I don’t normally write my review focusing on the characters, but I thought I would for this book because the plot is so character-driven.
Daddy, who despite saying he isn’t a sadist, comes across as one remorseless, controlling individual. He’s what people refer to as a phycological sadist. The way he treats Cammy and Zay differently is very intriguing. It’s almost as if he’s two different people, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a complete Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde change when dealing with them both separately. While interacting with Cammy, Daddy is such a sweet caregiver as long as Cammy’s a good boy. He seems to genuinely love his Little, wanting him to be healthy and happy. Master, on the other hand, is callous toward Zay. Master knowns that Zay is a strong person both physically and mentally, so he dives into training the new puppy with a firm hand.
Sweet, sweet Cammy was a character my heart hurt for. I liked him from the moment he appeared in the book. It was easy to see that he was innocent and naive when it came to his Daddy. There were things Cammy didn’t really like, things his Daddy expected him to do, yet he did them to make Daddy happy. He’d been abused by his parents before Daddy brought him home to live a new life as a Little. Cammy resisted the expectations of his Daddy when the older man wanted him to behave like a baby, but succumbed to the pressure of being what was demanded. Despite being happy enough with his life, Cammy felt lonely during the day while Daddy worked. So, his Daddy offered to get him a Puppy to play with while he was away. Little did he know, Daddy wasn’t talking about the furry, four-legged kind.
Zay was the one character I really, really connected with. His narrative of the story was heartbreaking to witness. He went through so much emotionally and psychologically thanks to Master. After being brought to Master and Cammy I could feel his determination to overcome his predicament and get free. It was heartbreaking to see his spirit slowly dimming, to watch that fighting fire slowly burn out until he’s pretty much a shell of what he once was. He feels for Cammy, fully understanding that the boy went from one type of abuse to another, yet he couldn’t do anything about it. Master made him powerless until, he too, bent to the will of the sadistic man who said he just wants them both happy. It was hard seeing the shift in Zay from start to finish, but that only made him mean more to me in the end.
My brain was a confused mess while listening to this book but in a good way. There were times I was able to slip into the story and feel as if things weren’t so terrible for Cammy and Zay. Then, out of nowhere, something would happen that made me ask myself what the hell was I thinking to feel like their treatment was okay? It made it so easy to sympathize with Zay who felt so much pleasure and shame from what he endured. It also made the desire to protect Cammy from the big bads of the world a natural reaction for me. Yet, my mind halted my protests by asking, would Zay or Cammy have suffered more if Daddy/Master hadn’t stepped in? Cammy was an abused boy of eighteen who didn’t know any better. Zay was a depressed man with student loans to pay off and heaps of debt. If Daddy hadn’t stepped in, Cammy would have continued to suffer the abuse. If Master hadn’t bought Zay from whoever had kidnapped him, he could have been sold to someone much worse. It begs the question, does that make their treatment acceptable, or does it make it that much worse?
Honestly, I thought this book was darkly fantastic. It held my interest from start to finish, even when things happened that would normally squick me out. One complaint I do have is that the book seems to end too abruptly for me. I would love to have seen a little more in the way of Zay submitting completely to Master. It left off with me wondering just how much of the original Zay was still left within the man. Was he going to give in to this man and his boy completely? Was he still biding his time? I need to know!
I’d recommend this book to anyone familiar with R. Phoenix. She has a particularly dark way of writing books that makes you question everything you’re reading. It plays with you psychologically, touches on topics that can be triggering to some, and leaves you asking questions about your thoughts on morality. I would also recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with a grimmer plot. This isn’t a fluffy love story with a typical HEA.
The last thing I’ll say is that this book does deserve a warning that there are triggers to consider before reading. In this book, you’ll find age play, ABDL, puppy play, Stockholm Syndrome, kidnapping, enemas, humiliation, dubcon, noncon, BDSM, power play. If things like this give you that squicked out feeling or might trigger you, I’d say this isn’t your cuppa tea.
For dark, taboo erotica nobody can push boundaries quite like R. Phoenix, and Gilded Cages is a lubricious delight. The depth Phoenix delves into these characters, exploring their actions, reactions and motivations, makes for a thoroughly captivating story. Just fair warning, this book is completely consuming, and I read the whole thing in one sitting.
Even though Gilded Cages is told through the victims’ points-of-view, the character at the heart of this story is the abuser. (Since we never learn his name, I’m going to call him D/M, short for Daddy/Master.) The ideal predator, to the outside world D/M likely seems an upstanding, middle-aged ER doctor. He’s described by both of the victims as “handsome”, and based on their interactions throughout the story, he’s a clever manipulator and skilled brainwasher.
When D/M seizes the opportunity to ‘rescue’ eighteen-year-old Cammy from his abusive parents, he actually takes several years to condition him. To hear it described by Cammy, Daddy is his loving partner in an ABDL relationship. Cammy accepts the drugged bottles (and other things) D/M uses to control him. It’s sometimes unpleasant, but par for the course.
Spun as another ‘rescue’, D/M purchases Zay from a white slavery ring with the intent to train him as a puppy for Cammy. Explaining that Daddy has needs his boy cannot fulfill, the pup will also serve as a hole Master will use to satisfy his darker desires.
The deeper we get into this story; the more twisted and frightening D/M becomes. As R. Phoenix gradually reveals chilling details of Cammy’s grooming, we begin to understand the depth of his abuse. One thing is clear though, Cammy isn’t completely brainwashed. He consciously weighs consequences when making decisions, and knowingly manipulates his daddy. Does Daddy realize this? We don’t know…
When weeks of torturing Zay doesn’t turn him into the perfect pup, D/M switches tactics. He improves Zay’s living conditions, letting him spend more time with Cammy, and employing more traditional grooming techniques, which yield some interesting results. It’s chilling to watch as the dynamic changes between the three men, and how brilliantly D/M orchestrates it all.
The ending of Gilded Cages is spectacular, and R. Phoenix leaves us with something to think about. What does it take to be happy, to get what we need? And what really is freedom? The debt and worries of life are just another cage we each live in. Maybe a life free from all that might not be so bad…?
This story was dark and twisted and perfect in every way. The characters are complex and well developed and I really couldn’t stop reading. Loved every single word!
Love this author!!
Gilded Cages by R. Phoenix is a dark tale that draws you in and takes you on a journey into a twisted but intriguing situation.
We have three main characters in this story that we get to hear from. Daddy/Master, who is the kinky villain who holds the other two captive in order to create his own private fantasy. Then there is Cammy, a traumatized young man held under Daddy’s control for years now…. molded into a boy, a tiny… wearing diapers, being dependent and falling into the trap of Stockholm Syndrome. And Finally we have Zay, who is kidnapped and sold to Daddy/Master to become their Pup… caught between wanting to escape and wondering why his body is reacting the way it is to the punishments and treatment.
This story has a lot of dark themes, and yet it captures your interest and keeps you reading. It’s very well written, and told mainly from the point of view of Cammy and Zay but does provide a little sneak peek into Daddy/Master’s mind, as well. Definitely recommended reading for fans of R Phoenix or for those who love the twisted themes, the broken characters, the dark scenes… the hurt that doesnt get ordinary comfort.