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Worth (Gray Zone #2)

by Adrienne Wilder (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 96 ratings · 31 reviews

"A Gray Zone Novel"
Give us your poor, your unwanted, your criminals... that's the unofficial motto of Atlanta's Gray Zone, the no man's land between the city and the Dens of the Kin-the dragons. Between Liam, the two brothers he's cared for most of his life, and their abusive stepfather, they account for all three categories.
Liam was fifteen when he made the arrangemen...more

Paperback, 1st Edition, 204 pages

Published December 2nd 2011 by Dreamspinner Press (first published December 1st 2011)

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Dec 03, 2011 MandyM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

Book 2 in the Gray Zone series. This could be read as a standalone novel. I noticed that the author has included a glossary and an Author's Note explaining the history of the Dragon Kin world. This world is complex and unusual and I think these extras will really help readers to appreciate her stories even more.

This gritty and poignant tale is told in the 1st person POV of Liam. Liam has led a tragic life, sexually abused by his alcoholic stepfather, and struggling to protect his two younger bro...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Adara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, the story was fine. Based on the blurb, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it, but as I'd bought it, I did. It would be nice to actually follow a Lesser-Bred all the way through the Shift, and not just be told about it and stop the story a few days or weeks before.

This time the soon-to-Shift is Liam. He doesn't know about it (unlike Adam in the previous story). Although I thought there was a good opportunity to really explore the unknown side of finding out you're Lesser-Bred, this story rather...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: glbt-gay, dragon, urban-fantasy

Imagine someone with a horrible past... a past that left him with mental and also physical scars...
...that's the main character of he story... Liam.

After his mother death, Liam will be obligated to do anything, also unthinkable things, to protect his young half brothers, Chris and Kevin... protect them for their father, Richard.

I can't say how much I despise Richard... can a villain in a story be worst than him??? It's hard to find one... I'm not kidding. I must think A LOT and maybe no, I mus...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Nijin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mm, dark

Incredible imagination applied to the good plot structure made a real Page Turner.
I gave 4 the first book in the series but it was mostly because of the high amount of details in the world, lots of new ideas, and partly because of "feeding". This book I have read after Darwin's theory so I guess I just get used to the blood kink idea :-).
Unstable people better stay away from these books! Hannibal lecter sends his hi.

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Jan 26, 2012 Td rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: abuse, angst, dark, fantasy-urban, rape, sniff

Another intense story from the Gray Zone even darker and grittier than the first. Oh, how Liam suffered, made me care for him and his brothers and left me with questions! Once again I ran to the author's blog, cursing a blue streak, after another wide open ending to see what the hell is next. There I found a blog entry where Ms. Wilder answers the question: Why the "endings" on Gray Zone stories "suck". "Slices of life", "leave the option open"...ok, I can see that, now please tell me what I wha...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Laura marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: calibre-owned, owned-to-read

Worth by Adrienne Wilder

A Gray Zone Novel

Give us your poor, your unwanted, your criminals... that’s the unofficial motto of Atlanta’s Gray Zone, the no man’s land between the city and the Dens of the Kin—the dragons. Between Liam, the two brothers he’s cared for most of his life, and their abusive stepfather, they account for all three categories.

Liam was fifteen when he made the arrangement: as long as he let his stepfather sell his body, his brothers would be safe. Scarred inside and out

...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, contemporary, action-adventure, anal-play-sex, m-m, paranormal, forced-seduction

Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Kin and Lesser-bred have no desire to be human, but they have no problem sleeping with them.

The entire concept of Lesser-Bred and Kin grabbed me. I wanted to learn more about these unique creatures and their way of living.

Liam had few good memories in his life, yet he still managed to find the strength to survive. This determination for survival was mostly due to his two younger brothers, Chris and Kevin. Liam’s drive to protect his b...more Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Kin and Lesser-bred have no desire to be human, but they have no problem sleeping with them.

The entire concept of Lesser-Bred and Kin grabbed me. I wanted to learn more about these unique creatures and their way of living.

Liam had few good memories in his life, yet he still managed to find the strength to survive. This determination for survival was mostly due to his two younger brothers, Chris and Kevin. Liam’s drive to protect his brothers no matter the cost to himself was inspirational and touching. He was a character I immediately sympathized with because of all of the abuse he received throughout his life. His story is one of triumph over ones situation no matter the abuse and obstacles faced. Liam's inner strength and protective nature toward those he cared about immediately drew me to his story and captivated me from beginning to end.

Jericho’s mysterious nature made me want to learn more about him, as well. I would have liked to have read more about Jericho’s kind. While the mystery of Jericho initially interested me I was disappointed how even in the end I didn’t know much about him. His counterpart, Liam was an open book to me so I really connected with him right away. With Jericho there was a bit of a disconnect. I was able to get to know him on the surface but I would have preferred a deeper connection.

This story, while captivating, had some parts that may be a bit difficult for some readers to handle. There's a pretty rough forced sex scene that isn't for the faint at heart. There are also references to pedophilia, sex trade, as well as numerous violent acts towards the main characters as well as a few secondary characters. I will say these acts, while sometimes difficult to read, helped me to understand the hurdles Liam and Jericho overcome. Their perseverance made me cheer that much more for their happily-ever-after. Also the characters were never anything but loving and affectionate towards one another.

The author makes it clear at the very beginning these are not humans and they do not wish to be human. Because I was so interested in the concept, more information about them would have been helpful. In addition, I thought because these are dragons and half breeds (dragon and human mix) I would see a bit more dragons or dragon shifters in dragon form.

In the end, I would love to see sequels to this series involving not only the main characters but also the secondary characters within the series, especially the two younger brothers. I think the author definitely has a winner in this series.(less)

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Dec 19, 2011 T.A. Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Liam was twelve, his mother died right in front of him. He knew it was happening when she had the aneurysm, and knew life was about to change for him and his two younger brothers. Because he knew Richard, his estranged stepfather, the biological father of his two brothers, would come back into their lives. Abusive, drunken Richard always hated him, hated his repaired cleft palate.

And he was right.

Abused physically, sexually, mentally and emotionally, he made a deal with the devil at age 15...more When Liam was twelve, his mother died right in front of him. He knew it was happening when she had the aneurysm, and knew life was about to change for him and his two younger brothers. Because he knew Richard, his estranged stepfather, the biological father of his two brothers, would come back into their lives. Abusive, drunken Richard always hated him, hated his repaired cleft palate.

And he was right.

Abused physically, sexually, mentally and emotionally, he made a deal with the devil at age 15. Do what you want with me, sell me, use me, but keep your hands off my little brothers. Richard agreed, and Liam could at least know he was doing what was right, even though he knew his mother would be so unhappy with him. But he can stand anything as long as Chris and Kevin are alright. Because Richard has already laid his hands on Kevin once, and the boy retreated into his own world, never really recovering from the vicious backhand, and although the doctors diagnose it as autism, Liam knows better. And fears what could happen. So he will stand between them and Richard until...well, just until.

And then Liam meets Jericho, one of the Lesser Bred, a cross breed between one of the Kin, the Dragons of the city of Atlanta, and a human. See, they live in the Gray Zone, a buffer between the Den of the Queen of Atlanta and the city proper, a place populated by humans, Kin and the Lesser Bred. Anything goes, but the Zone has its own peculiar moral code, and the boys are safe, for the most part. But Jericho calls to something in Liam, awakening a sexual want that he thought long extinguished. So he begins to see Jericho.

But when Richard reneges on the deal he has with Liam and Chris and Kevin are threatened, he knows he has to take action. But how will he manage to keep his brothers safe, deal with the strange urges and changes he seems to be having and stay alive all at the same time? And will Jericho help him, be the one for him to lean on, be more than sex?

This is a stunning, gritty and powerful tale of survival, pain and, oddly enough, hope. Adrienne Wilder has created a worthy sequel to "To Adam With Love", the first book of her Gray Zone Chronicles, with this book.

Having worked with abused and neglected adolescents for the past ten years, the descriptions and events came as no great surprise to me. I have sat with children abused, raped, beaten, sold into prostitution, and heard them describe their ordeals, and this rang so achingly true. What stunned me and had me putting the book down to breathe was its emotional honesty and integrity - how the victim can set aside the abuse and try to protect others, how the devastation becomes the norm, the profane the commonplace. In a world of inhumanity, the small things, like simple hugs, can bring you to tears.

There are terrifyingly disturbing things that happen in this world that Ms. Wilder has built, but what is amazing is, the Dragons make a beautiful kind of sense. They are alien, morally different, complex and outside our world. To be watched warily and kept at arms length. But the truly evil things are at the hands of our fellow humans. THAT is the horror story here. And what a way to drive it home.

Painful. Hard to read. Be strong, this ride is worth the price of admission.

Tom(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, dragon, heavy, shifter

3.5 Stars.

Okay I will keep this blunt.

I stayed up reading this till 3am in the morning. I was completely invested and captivated. Then the author gives me yet again - one of the shittiest ending ever. I nearly threw my kindle against the wall I was that frustrated.

I had spent a couple of hours reading theses characters be abused and struggled against great odds. They deserved an epilogue so that THEY and ME could have closure dammit.

Here is an example of why I am frustrated with timelines and we...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, m-m, romance, request

I absolutely love Wilder’s vision of Atlanta with its Gray Zone, Kin, Lesser-Bred’s and all of the individuals that this world affects. Worth can be read as a stand-alone without having read any of Wilder’s other books. All of her works take place in this gritty dark world where dragons and their half breed and lesser also live. I do think this is one of the darker of her books.

Liam’s life is heartbreakingly tragic. He has never allowed himself anything. His entire life revolves around his two...more

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Feb 02, 2012 cecily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-lgbt

I think this book has beautiful characterization but the author just wrote the book too fast so it was like they didn't have time to fully develop to their absolute potential. Even factoring in the length of this short novel the characters still were great and surprisingly well developed considering. The main character Liam is so altruistic and the reader can't help but sympathize. I adored the connection he had with his brothers I felt like everything was rushed though. I honestly believe if th...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Erica Pike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge-whips-kisses, genre-paranormal, favorites, genre-post-apoc-dystopia

I never - NEVER - thought I'd like a dragon story, but this one proved me wrong. I was just going to read a little bit yesterday, starting with the terminologies at the beginning (which, I admit, got me curious), but as soon as I started reading the actual story I couldn't put it down.

I guess what helped was that there was less emphases on the dragons (a paranormal species I find even less plausible than vampires, elves, mermaids, and werewolves - not saying ghosts because they DO exist ;)), and...more I never - NEVER - thought I'd like a dragon story, but this one proved me wrong. I was just going to read a little bit yesterday, starting with the terminologies at the beginning (which, I admit, got me curious), but as soon as I started reading the actual story I couldn't put it down.

I guess what helped was that there was less emphases on the dragons (a paranormal species I find even less plausible than vampires, elves, mermaids, and werewolves - not saying ghosts because they DO exist ;)), and more on the impossible, nightmarish situation Liam and his brothers are in. Mostly Liam though, because he gets the physical and psychological pain as well as the complete humiliation and helplessness, while the others live in fear.

This story is darker than dark. Not only with the dystopian setting with everything in deterioration and lawlessness, but also the physical and psychological evidence in both Liam and Chris (one of the brothers) after the abuse Liam has taken. The abuse Liam has gone through over the past six years is absolutely horrible, to the point I felt like my skin was crawling off a few times, but the way the author managed to both create and infuse the conflict in the story (many times over!) was both infuriating and masterful.

I applaud the author for making Chris' scars come out as well, his fear, anger and regret over the sacrifices his older brother has made. It put even more depth into the story.

I'll admit that I enjoyed the parts about the dragons less. I feel that this story wasn't even about the dragons; it was a survival story of the brothers. Sure, I liked Jericho, but nowhere near as much as I liked and cared about Liam. I hope there's a sequel with the two, since I felt the ending between them wasn't wholly satisfying.

The title isn't gripping. I've had it on my Kindle for a very long time where it's always been overlooked by other, more gripping titles. The only reason I read this was because I had to read a dragon book for a challenge. The cover, however, is very gripping (but unfortunately I can't see the cover on my Kindle Touch).

ETA: This book is the second in the series. I had no idea! It works well as a first.(less)

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Dec 12, 2011 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Erotica, m/m, romannce, weres

Shelves: ebook, erotica, fiction, m-m-romance, netgalley, series, urban-fantasy

This book was really hard for me rate. I liked the concept of the story and the world it set in, but it was hard to read. By that I mean some of the scenes were pretty brutal and had me cringing as I read them (one almost had me quit reading the book) and even though there was a glossary of terms at the start of the book, there were times I was utterly confused. I realize now after reading the book that there are other books set in this world (City of Dragons and Darwin's Theory) though not in t...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Deja Dei rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, extremely-violent

This is a great book. 4.5. It has everything that I personally enjoy in a story, complex, flawed, but likeable characters, a fascinating and well drawn fantasy world, conflict, fighting, violence and a plot beyond two guys hooking up. Lately I think I'm prefering actiony-adventure books where the romance is secondary, but still integral. This is a fine example of such a book.

Liam is a great character and one I really wanted to see triumph. He's been taking his stepfather's abuse for many years i...more This is a great book. 4.5. It has everything that I personally enjoy in a story, complex, flawed, but likeable characters, a fascinating and well drawn fantasy world, conflict, fighting, violence and a plot beyond two guys hooking up. Lately I think I'm prefering actiony-adventure books where the romance is secondary, but still integral. This is a fine example of such a book.

Liam is a great character and one I really wanted to see triumph. He's been taking his stepfather's abuse for many years in an effort to protect his younger brothers, abuse that includes beating, rape, torture, and whoring him out to some real sickos to pay for his drug habit. It is NOT pretty. But Liam doesn't wallow in self-pity. He's willing to do anything to protect his brothers and provide for them, which is very admirable. It's quite sad though that he doesn't feel like he deserves any better. His self-esteem is low because of what's been done to him and some facial scars, that he thinks make him so ugly nobody wants him except to abuse. But when he's around his brothers, he is always kind and thinking about what they might need. Chris, the older of the two brothers, knows what Liam is doing to keep him safe and is conflicted. Kevin has some sort of mental disorder, so it's hard to say how he feels a lot of the time, but there are some poignant moments when he's able to express himself.

Jericho, a Lesser-Bred (offspring of a human and a dragon) remains a mystery until near the end. The first seventy-five percent of his relationship with Liam is mostly lust. (I don't consider this a flaw!) These two can't keep their hands off each other, for various and sometimes supernatural reasons. Their feelings develop slowly because this is the first time Liam doesn't see sex as abuse, or at best, work. Jericho remains pretty aloof until his reveal toward the end, so I didn't develop the connection to him that I did to Liam. I still liked him, just not as much.

The plot is fast-paced and exciting, though I admit I saw the twist coming at about the half way point. It didn't really bother me though because I still wanted to see how Liam would handle it. Maybe because I read To Adam With Love, I wasn't nearly as confused about all the dragon terms this time around, or maybe because Liam was on the outside of that world and didn't know about it, so he needed it explained. There is a glossary, but I didn't really need it to get what was happening. Some of the things that happen to Liam, and that he does, are BRUTAL. This is not for the faint of heart or anybody looking for a fluffy, feel good read. It is INTENSE at times, blood, violence, death, torture and rape. Personally I usually prefer that to fluff (since the rape is portrayed as cruelty, and it's NOT okay). No worries, Liam doesn't fall in love with his rapist or the people who abuse him! He's much too well done of a character for that crap. Still, it's only when his brothers are threatened that he starts to fight back. He doesn't think he's good enough to defend when it's just him being threatened. I want to give a big "thank you" to the author for depicting a realistic victim of abuse. His self-esteem is shot, but he knows enough to hate the people who have hurt him. He might take it to protect those he loves, but he never starts liking it. And (finally, thank you!!) he wants some revenge...

Some of the sex practices did make me uncomfortable (I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the dragon Kin eat the flesh and blood of their sex partners, because it's a staple of the series.) People wanting to be eaten certainly pushes my boundries,but the characters and the world are so compelling I soldiered through it. I'm absolutely fascinated by the mythology created here. It's detailed and completely unique among anything paranormal or fantasy I've read. The author's descriptions really make the Gray Zone come alive, and the non-human characters, while their behavior is bizarre by human standards, are always consistent. And there are fairies now! I hope to see more of them, but I'll be awaiting anything else set in this world. I want to meet Vesh!

I'm only knocking off half a star for the structure of the ending, which was out of sequence and would have been clearer if things just happened in order, without the flashback. Other than that, a 5 plus read all the way, if you're not squeamish! Recommended, highly, and I can't wait for the next one.(less)

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Jan 24, 2012 L-D rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, fantasy, dragons, series, shifters-weres

This was a dark book that touched on a lot of ugly topics. Topics of abuse and rape and desperation. But it also had strong themes of love and courage.

As a boy, Liam watched his beloved mother die of an aneurysm right in front of him. Vowing to protect his younger brothers, Liam put up with years of physical and sexual abuse from his stepfather even allowing his stepfather to sell his body. Not realizing that while he can protect his brothers from suffering physically, he can't protect them from...more

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Jan 18, 2012 L.E.Olteano rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, netgalley, reviewed, pub-2011-or-earlier-2012-tbr-pile, received-for-review

Oh, what a beautiful world! Well, I mean, beautifully built more then beautiful in itself, it's sort of a depressing and yet fascinating world. I'm rambling, sorry. Ok, so let's be methodical.

This is book #2 in a series called Gray Zone, and I haven't read book #1 (ofc, I seem to do this a lot...), but I didn't really feel like I was denied any relevant info because of that. I really appreciated the glossary of terms and short presentation of the world at the beginning of the novel, to me that m...more Oh, what a beautiful world! Well, I mean, beautifully built more then beautiful in itself, it's sort of a depressing and yet fascinating world. I'm rambling, sorry. Ok, so let's be methodical.

This is book #2 in a series called Gray Zone, and I haven't read book #1 (ofc, I seem to do this a lot...), but I didn't really feel like I was denied any relevant info because of that. I really appreciated the glossary of terms and short presentation of the world at the beginning of the novel, to me that made this read as much a stand alone as it is a part of a series; of course, it's that type of series that tells us about different characters within the same world or universe or whatever you'd like to call it. And what a wonderfully imaginative world!
I'm a great fan of dragons myself, so these beautiful creatures the author has created, this whole social order (or lack thereof in some areas) is totally fascinating to me.

Liam, Chris and Kevin took my heart by storm, I ached for them. One thing that's clear though is this is a very mature read, and not just because there's some one on one action going on, but because of the brutal life these characters lead, because of the nature of the world they inhabit. And Liam gets to sample all the brutality of it, all the ugliness of it; and yet he keeps a beautifully loving heart, he's a mother hen for his younger brothers and he's willing to bear whatever in order to keep them safe, in order to protect them and offer them as much of a good life as he can manage.
It was almost emotionally draining to witness Liam's life, I couldn't read this book all in one go, I felt the need to take breathers now and then, it just got to feel like too much at times. At the same time, fiction as it may be, I kept thinking about these cases I've learned of, real-life stories that resembled so much his story that it sent me reeling. I find it interesting that when met in fiction-clad form, the brutality of the human being is shocking, and yet we learn of all these real cases and we just cruise by them on a day to day basis. Funny how ours minds work, huh? Anyways, back to the book.

The characters were, in my opinion, amazing, and here's why: there was nothing like posing about them, they didn't feel built or put together as it sometimes happens with characters going through dramatic situations, they felt so incredibly real and natural, truly vivid. Their reactions, their feelings, everything - absolutely natural, real. Of course that seems to work for and against the reading experience, in the fact that it always seems easier to go through dramatic happenings with a character that feels a bit made up, you know? It's like an intense but not uncomfortable exercise of the imagination, whereas a really good character doesn't feel like a character at all but like one of your friends, so going through really bad stuff with them isn't quite as easy.

The plot was interesting and eventful without becoming actually overwhelming until nearer the end, where there was this really intense scene that made me hold my breath, I was like "Oh nooooooo!!!", but thankfully for my heart it got resolved in a reasonably short time :D
If you'll approach this as a smutty read, you'll be very surprised and I mean very. I will confess it turned out to have substantially more punch to it then I expected as well, and I was extremely pleased with that. Of course, it's a predictable reaction on my part, all my favorite reads revolve around really dramatic situations and stories.

So to sum it all up, if you're not iffy about dramatic stories with violent content, I say give this a try, it's somewhat brutal but beautiful as well, because it's about human nature, true human nature in all it's raw glory.(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, m-m-urban-fantasy, netgalley-arc

It's a Mad Bad Crazy World
There's nothing Liam wouldn't do, nothing he hasn't done to protect and care for his two younger brothers. His stepfather is a drunk, sadistic bastard and Liam is all that stands between him and the tattered remnants of their innocence. His own he traded to insure Chris and Kevin keep theirs as long as they can.

Liam does what he can to assure his brothers don't hear, even as his screams echo in the shadows along the broken streets of the Gray Zone. He's been brutally ra...more

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Feb 16, 2012 ♆ BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-reviews, m-m, paranormal-romance

Are we ever going to learn more about these Dragons? These Kin? In this new story, we learn about them more from the glossary in the beginning of the book than in the story itself. Where these dragons come from, we don't know. We do learn how the human laws are unfair and discriminate against those who are kin. Liam is a human, or so he thinks. He's a young boy doing his best to protect his two younger brothers from their father. Even though they are only half brothers, Liam loves and protects t...more Are we ever going to learn more about these Dragons? These Kin? In this new story, we learn about them more from the glossary in the beginning of the book than in the story itself. Where these dragons come from, we don't know. We do learn how the human laws are unfair and discriminate against those who are kin. Liam is a human, or so he thinks. He's a young boy doing his best to protect his two younger brothers from their father. Even though they are only half brothers, Liam loves and protects them better than anyone.

I have to state, this book is probably the most depressing book I've read so far this year. Since I'm already well over 130 books, this is saying a lot. This book is depressing because the amount of abuse Liam goes through is just inhumane. His stepfather is a son of a bitch who needs to be killed. Anyone who tortures and rapes a young boy just needs to be killed. That's not all, Liam is also sold to other men who torture and rape him. I can not abide by this type of abuse. My heart bleeds for Liam. Half way through the book I almost gave up because the sheer amount of pain visited on Liam was too much for me to bear. Unlike sexual non-con torture which is a turn on for me, this was just cruel sadistic abuse of a child. There should be a special place in hell for men like Liam's step father. Based on Liam's life, I'm thinking being eaten by a Kin at this point would be less painful.

Fortunately for Liam, he turns out to be a lesser. Meeting up with Jericho is the best thing that ever happened. From this point on, Liam has a chance to actually move on. Through Jericho we get glimpses of this elusive Dragon Kin society. I'm hooked. I want to learn more. I want to finally read a book where the main character is a Kin. Better yet, will we learn about the Queen? Just as the story is getting good where Jericho and Liam are coming together, it ends. I screamed in outrage. I'm left hanging, hoping to learn more about the Kin who saved Liam. I want to know how it turns out for Liam after his becoming. This book is recommended for m/m lovers who can handle a painful history visited upon the main character.

*Review Copy from http://www.netgalley.com/*(less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, review-copy, queer, urban-fantasy

Overall
Although I really enjoyed this story, and love broken characters (plus abused rent boy!), this story didn't quite earn a 5-star rating. I'm not sure exactly what is keeping it from reaching that point, as I can't really think of anything really negative about it. It has good writing, a good story, interesting plot and characters and a fun world, but I still don't feel like it's a 5-star book. Maybe I'm in a blase mood, maybe the characters weren't new/creative enough. Still, a good book,...more Overall
Although I really enjoyed this story, and love broken characters (plus abused rent boy!), this story didn't quite earn a 5-star rating. I'm not sure exactly what is keeping it from reaching that point, as I can't really think of anything really negative about it. It has good writing, a good story, interesting plot and characters and a fun world, but I still don't feel like it's a 5-star book. Maybe I'm in a blase mood, maybe the characters weren't new/creative enough. Still, a good book, definitely worth picking up.

Strengths
Liam is horribly, horribly abused by his step-father and his johns, is struggling to protect his brothers, and works his butt off so that the boys have all that they need. He's not a weak character, just exhausted and trying to continue to fight to survive while being a little broken emotionally. This pushed all kinds of lovely buttons for me and it was well handled; nothing was described too gruesomely but it didn't ignore the horrors that he's endured. Liam is a lovely character and his struggle is beautiful.

While the plot was more predictable than the first, I still enjoyed watching it unfold. Like a play you've seen before, knowing what happens doesn't make the characters' performances any less interesting. And with Liam in the center, there are plenty of interesting actors on this stage.

I liked how certain elements of the Kin world were handled in this story better than how they were handled in the first. Whether the author assumed people would be reading this book second and would recall from the first novel, or just didn't want to focus as heavily on those aspects, the more pared down descriptions worked well.

Weaknesses
This still suffers from having a glossary in the front. In addition, there seemed to be even more words defined, while not that many additional concepts were used. While it's easy to skip over this, it's hard for the reader to know if anything important is going to be missed by doing that. In this case, I didn't feel like reading the glossary was too advantageous, as the narrator knows very little about Kin society and anything the reader would need to know is explained in the story.

Plot was somewhat predictable, although this didn't damage it's enjoyment much.

Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.(less)

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May 28, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gripping -- and intense! -- from beginning to end. I would have loved a more complete ending though, and a better understanding of the world Wilder created. As for the latter, there are other books set in this world, so that might have been achieved if I'd read some of them first. This might not necessarily be the best book to start with for someone who hasn't read Wilder before, but I enjoyed it anyway.

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Nov 10, 2012 Sue rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really couldn't give it 3 stars (liked it), because although well written and plotted, the cannibalistic elements of having people (ever former people who have morphed into something else) eating others was just too icky for me.
Shame, because I like both main characters, especially Liam and his brothers.

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Jun 14, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, gay, ebook, paranormal-romance, done

Very good paranormal m/m romance about a guy who puts himself between his stepfather and his younger brothers to keep them safe. Then he meets a Lesser-Bred and, for the first time, wants something for himself.

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Dec 09, 2011 Wusswoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book and I need more, I need to know Kevin's diagnosis. In fact I'd like a book starring Kevin, just him being adorable and needing a cuddle would do!! Please sir can I have some more?

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Apr 29, 2012 Tamarrion Lash rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

Ну вощем миленько. Если мир автора нравится, то читать стоит. Если раньше ничего из этой серии не читали, то с этой книги точно начинать не стоит.

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Dec 18, 2012 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica-explicit, mm

3.5 - Not as good as "To Adam With Love", it felt like it ended to quick, but still worth the read!

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Mar 23, 2012 Marsha Spence rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: para, shifters

I really liked them. I felt so much for Liam and his situation. Just a great read!

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Dec 09, 2011 Lis added it

Shelves: m-m-books, m-m-urban-fantasy, series

**Review coming soon for Rarely Dusty Books**

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Sep 30, 2012 whitney rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars but man the first 60 pages hurt to read about. The last 30 were Worth it!

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Jan 04, 2012 Maya rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars. Oh, how I love Adrienne's writing and the world she has built in The Gray Zone. This book was was heart breaking and difficult to read, yet I couldn't put the book down.

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Mar 31, 2012 Suong Doan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I SO WANT MORE!

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Gay Science Fiction: Gray Zone, by Adrienne Wilder: Dystopia?	4	17	Feb 08, 2013 08:00am

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Romance > M M Romance

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Fantasy

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Fantasy > Dragons

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Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

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Science Fiction

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Romance > Paranormal Romance

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About Adrienne Wilder

My fascination for the big, scaly, and scary began somewhere around the age of three when I escaped my mother's arms and ran down the aisle during a showing of Pete's Dragon, screaming, “Don't hurt my friend!” In my defense, it was the scene where Elliott the dragon is captured by the villains, so could you blame me?

Anyhow, my passion for artwork started around that same time, and I took to drawin...more My fascination for the big, scaly, and scary began somewhere around the age of three when I escaped my mother's arms and ran down the aisle during a showing of Pete's Dragon, screaming, “Don't hurt my friend!” In my defense, it was the scene where Elliott the dragon is captured by the villains, so could you blame me?

Anyhow, my passion for artwork started around that same time, and I took to drawing my own “Pete's Dragon” on the walls of my room. Something my mother didn't discourage, by the way. The writing came soon after that, when I learned those strange shapes on paper could tell you amazing things. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I was reading full-length novels. And back then there were no books for kids like “Harry Potter” and the ones that were available were never scary enough or exciting enough for me.

It wasn't long before I was sneaking off with my mother's books: Stephen King, Jean Auel, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, Anne McCaffrey, and many more.

Other than my penchant for reading, writing, and drawing, I guess I was just an average kid. I didn't excel in school, except for maybe art, and I was constantly getting notes sent home for “asking too many questions,” “talking out of turn,” and--I kid you not--“over active imagination.”

To keep myself from getting in trouble, I began writing stories. By the time I was in high school I'd written several “novels” as long as seven hundred pages, and in those novels, there were usually big scaly dragons that breathed fire and owned the skies.

I knew I wanted to be a writer early on but I realized pretty quickly it wasn't going to be an easy way to make a living. While I never gave up writing, and wrote many stories between my adolescence and adult years, I didn't pursue getting published until a few years ago. It's a journey that I don't regret and could have never done without the support of my mother and my friends.

Since dragons were constantly the subject matter of my artwork and my writing, it only made sense to use them in the creation of my first series. But I wanted something different. The dragons in the books I read were dumb, innately evil, magical, some version of “human”, or had human-type beliefs. So I set out to create a species that while they could look like Humans, they weren't. And unlike humans, they had no such thing as religion, morals, or even sexual taboos.

Crossing that with my love for science--specifically genetics-- I wound up with Kin.

Blood Bonds is the first book in the City of Dragons series. It is not, however, the only series I am working on that takes place in this alternate contemporary Atlanta, GA where big scary monsters roam the streets. The City of Dragons series focuses more on the “domesticated” Kin who are trying to survive in a human world, following human rules and face many daily obstacles. My other stories look at the darker side of Kin and their less-than-pure-bred offspring - the Lesser-Breds - as well as humans who align themselves with dragons and choose to live in the visceral part of the city known as the Gray Zone.

My novels are erotic, dark urban fantasy love stories and love is a continuous theme in what I write, but romance isn't. For me, love is eternal, romance is simply fleeting, or perhaps the journey a person takes to get to “love.” As humans it's something we instinctively search out and want to experience, but Kin don't believe they are capable of love…that it's just a human emotion. So when it does happen, it's usually without any type of courtship or expectations. It's simply pure, devotion so deep it doesn't have words--and more importantly--limits.

The City of Dragons series and the Lesser-Bred stories will give romance readers something different to chew on. There is violence, brutality, and death, but at the same time an amazing capacity for sacrifice, loyalty and most of all, love.

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13018395-worth?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347701125l/13018395.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13018395-worth?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Worth by Adrienne Wilder[/url]

Worth (Gray Zone #2)

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