Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Saturnalia Effect

by Heidi Belleau (Goodreads Author), Violetta Vane (Goodreads Author)

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 41 ratings · 23 reviews

Troy Khoury is serving a life sentence in Westgate prison for a robbery gone wrong. He just wants to keep his head down and do his time, but he runs afoul of an old-timer named Franchetti. Franchetti offers Troy a simple choice: kill fellow inmate Daniel Amato by Christmas in exchange for protection, or be tortured and raped to death by Franchetti's heavy, Pliers. Troy's n...more

ebook, Bonus Content Edition, 52 pages

Published December 20th 2011 by Storm Moon Press (first published December 19th 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 134)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 29, 2011 DarienMoya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: butt-virgins, 2011-reads, m-m-short-stories, my-m-m-lovin, tag-teaming-authors, interracial-love, pants-off-reviews

More of my reviews and ramblings at PANTS OFF REVIEWS

I spent hours in complete *ponder* over this novella. I don’t know if I will get this review right, but I will express why this unusual and deeply intense story is worth being read. I expected there to be the dark, because what else can you find in prison right? I expected a lot of rape, violence of the worst kind, and some hope that this book would end happily. I was proven wrong in two out of three of them.

Troy Khoury is serving life in pris...more More of my reviews and ramblings at PANTS OFF REVIEWS

I spent hours in complete *ponder* over this novella. I don’t know if I will get this review right, but I will express why this unusual and deeply intense story is worth being read. I expected there to be the dark, because what else can you find in prison right? I expected a lot of rape, violence of the worst kind, and some hope that this book would end happily. I was proven wrong in two out of three of them.

Troy Khoury is serving life in prison for a crime that isn’t even worth that much. That is what happens when a cop is killed and you were somehow involved. He is to suffer for his twin’s wrongdoing and the problem is his other half isn’t even there to serve the time with him. So he is in the worst possible place without the one person who made him whole. Troy is a bit on the pretty side, and he is fresh meat so the inmates are gunning for his ass (quite literally). When Troy is ordered to kill someone, he has decisions to make, either take someone’s life or become whore to the worst sort of men. Killing isn’t his MO but survival is.

His target Daniel is attractive, and luring him in with sex will not be the hard part because Troy finds himself attracted to the man. Its when Daniel starts to become more than a target, is where it gets hard. Their meeting is anticlimactic but it’s when they get together in the shower that I fizzled and burned in the chair I was reading in. My thoughts (shit this scene is hot and man it’s in the prison showers). So lets just say all the romantic shit ceases to exist in this book. Troy is second guessing himself wondering if he has the guts to kill a man he might care for, but somehow his own life seems more important.

This story is only 50 pages long and there is a completely novel length of things to think about. Like Saturnalia a time celebrated just before Christmas, a time for lawlessness and opportunity to have something more if only for a time (basically a time to switch things up). I could believe in Saturnalia or I could question Troy’s mental stability after being incarcerated. He is a lonely kid who has to kill to survive in prison; he lost someone very close to him and has to spend the rest of his life in prison. Living in ones mind where there are, ‘pretty things’ is not so bad.

This is a book you will think about, and I guess the authors have done their job. I thought I got a neatly wrapped HEA, and I would have been happy with it. Though I would have just marked it off as *just another story*. Then it surprises you with a WTF moment, and you know it’s not just another story. Whether you love it or hate it. The illusion of a happily ever after is there but in the end it’s just that an illusion (maybe). What could possibly be a good outcome for two men who will live the rest of their lives behind bars. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for Daniel and Troy, no matter how much you wish otherwise. This makes the reading experience all that much harder, because you come to care for the characters. It’s a grim story but beautiful in its own way.

Overall, I really liked the story and the characters and though I want happiness for them. The reality is their might not be any, but at least they have each other (in a sense). It’s dark but offers some romantic and a little sweet. Its sexy in a straight-up push you against the wall and take what I want sort of way. Its many things but its what you the reader makes of it. Every moment in this story could have been a fantasy of a scared and messed up boy, but what it makes you feel is entirely your own.

SideNote- As a cover slut, this one just makes me super happy *gawds I love it*

(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2012 Madison rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a short and sweet little story with a holly, jolly 'Christmas in Prison' theme with enough character work and background that I felt like I'd just finished a full-length novel. This is a good thing with the only downside being that I wanted to turn my novel upside down, shake it, and ask "But... is there anymore?".

Heidi and Violetta take the prison-setting and work it for everything it's worth: Troy is the new kid, a fish in a sea of sharks. He's got to make the best of a bad situation a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Vivian Archer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemp, fr

A young man coerced to choose between two evils.

Troy, an innocent man imprisoned for his misplaced loyalty is ill-suited to surviving the harsh realities of prison. One of these realities leads him to Daniel, a man with a history and a reputation. Like all prisoner love stories the themes of non consensual/ dubious consent and gay-for-you are present. Here the darker themes are flirted with but not engaged. The level of D/s was lower than I was expecting and surprisingly bordered on the sweet si...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2013 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, novellas-short-stories, romance-adult, read-03-2013, 3-star

Very good story, although I expected it to be more... suspenseful, I think?
A few niggles:
Are guys in jail really so open to homosexuality? I get that in this environment sex is seen as an affirmation of property and strength, but they seemed strangely accepting of a sweeter relationship like the one between Troy and Daniel.
I would have liked to get to know these two better, but I think they are not what this story was really about. In my view, it was more about possibility - meaning the possibil...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Kassa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Storm Moon Press continues to publish thought provoking, edgy, and very compelling stories. The Saturnalia Effect is no different and offers an absorbing and clever novella. It’s the perfect length to tease the reader but could easily have been longer and more involved. The short scene at the end attests to how much more the story still has to say. Nonetheless, TSE is a great quick tale that excites, engages, and leaves you wondering. My only criticisms are that the characters could have been ex...more Storm Moon Press continues to publish thought provoking, edgy, and very compelling stories. The Saturnalia Effect is no different and offers an absorbing and clever novella. It’s the perfect length to tease the reader but could easily have been longer and more involved. The short scene at the end attests to how much more the story still has to say. Nonetheless, TSE is a great quick tale that excites, engages, and leaves you wondering. My only criticisms are that the characters could have been explored more and the ending, which is both genius and a cop out.

Troy is a young man recently incarcerated for an exceptionally long time. He has no real chance at getting out of prison anytime soon and is struggling to find a way to survive. He’s young, pretty, gay, and non-violent so his options are pretty limited. Almost immediately he’s intimidated and threatened by an ex-mob boss that wants another man dead. Troy is to kill Daniel to save himself from rape and possibly torture. Yet Troy falls for Daniel and is torn on what to do. With no hope for a happy ending, Troy and Daniel struggle against fate and their situation.

Prison stories are rough to read. They tend to be hopeless just by their very circumstances and the reality of the situation can be depressing or tough to read. TSE doesn’t shirk either reality or the details that go along with that. In this way, the story offers a compelling and fascinating peek into the life of an inmate and the struggle to survive inside prison. The characters are complex and well crafted but definitely could have used more time and space to develop. Troy’s backstory of being a twin and the various illegal antics could have used more space in the story. I definitely wanted to know more of how it all came about and how Troy, the quieter follower, ended up in the situation he did. We’re told the basic details but a more developed understanding is needed. Likewise losing his twin must have had a devastating effect on Troy, but that’s glossed over and not really explored.

Daniel is an interesting character but feels like he has more depth than we’re shown. His past as an ex-mobster who had a daughter at an extremely young age and also his actions in prison could have used more space on the page. I would have loved to know more about Daniel’s past and how he came to be the man he is and his relationship to Troy. Since the story is told from Troy’s perspective, Daniel is only seen through Troy’s biased view and while that makes their relationship intense and engaging, it also leaves out considerable details.

What works so incredibly well here is the writing itself. The prison setting is so real and chilling that it gives you goose bumps. The violence included feels authentic but never lets the reader forget the very terror and real danger that Troy lives in every single day. The details are never gratuitous even if they’re graphic. Instead they fit the tone and story incredibly well. My only other criticism would be the ending. Without giving any spoilers the novella heads into a supernatural element that doesn’t really fit. It clearly begins as a delusion but offers the appearance, and perhaps reality, of a happy ending.

I’m torn on this ending for two reasons. On the one hand I like happy endings and giving the appearance of one is not a bad idea. It’s a nice alternative to the reality of the situation, which is much more authentic. The ending feels a bit like a cop out. It’s thought provoking and clever but it also takes the fear and edge away that the story excels in creating. So on the one hand it’s a nice choice but it also takes away the hard-hitting impact of the story. It’s a double-edged sword that I don’t envy the authors in figuring out and if nothing else, it definitely keeps the story at the front of my mind.

Once again SMP has delivered a great edgy story that you won’t want to put down. It’s very well written, edgy, and interesting from beginning to end. The subtle metaphors throughout blend well with the use of D/s, which is not only fitting but also expected in a story like this. This is easily a story I’d read again and I look forward to reading this duo again.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2011 Ruth Diaz rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is better than a four-star book, but rating system won't let me give it 4.5 stars. *g*

The Saturnalia Effect is an engaging read--it was hard for me to put it down and go to sleep at night only part way through it!

Pros: Troy and Daniel are people you really care about, and you care about them falling in love and about their ongoing welfare. Their difficult circumstances bring out qualities they didn't know they had, in the way a good story should: Troy is braver than he thinks he can be, and...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2013 LiveYourLife BuyTheBook rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: verra-good, storm-moon, barb, xmas

4 Stars

I love prison books. So when Whit, my Goodreads Guru, saw this book she knew straight away who to pimp it to! Whit seldom steers me wrong, and this was no exception. It was good!!

Troy Khoury, as the blurb says, is in prison for life. He isn’t guilty, of course. Well, not of that crime. He is a bad kid for sure, but he was caught in a terrible burglary-gone-wrong with awful ramifications for him, his family and, obviously, the cop that was killed. This is one of the aspects about prison th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 18, 2011 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, queer, review-copy, holiday

Overall
The dark halls of prison are no place to celebrate Christmas, especially when you're a pretty boy without much desire to hurt anyone. This is the case for Troy, who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. While "The Saturnalia Effect" is a dark, fairly heavy story, there is still a struggle to keep hope and love in one's life, a theme that weaves throughout and keeps the novella from becoming too bleak, especially for it's holiday theme. In multiple instances, I was emotionally moved an...more Overall
The dark halls of prison are no place to celebrate Christmas, especially when you're a pretty boy without much desire to hurt anyone. This is the case for Troy, who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. While "The Saturnalia Effect" is a dark, fairly heavy story, there is still a struggle to keep hope and love in one's life, a theme that weaves throughout and keeps the novella from becoming too bleak, especially for it's holiday theme. In multiple instances, I was emotionally moved and nearly rejoiced at the end. Although the story won't fit everyone's tastes, it's definitely worth checking out.

Strengths
I was on the edge of my seat as the events unfolded, as Troy debates killing Amato, tries to get out of it, and faces the many consequences of his actions. A dark story, it illustrates the worst sort of prison where the strong rule supreme and the weak are either taken under wing or abused. While I cannot vouch for the veracity of the environment, in the world the authors built, it felt real and worked to supply the events that make this story so gripping. The rawness and darkness are what make the tale so enthralling and beautiful in its bleakness.

While I was never in love with any of the characters, I certainly felt empathy for Troy. In addition, there are a wide variety of character types that Troy has to face, and because this takes place in a prison, all the main characters are inmates, and thus not generally "good guys." But in line with the movie Shawshank Redemption, not all bad guys are that bad and not all good guys (aka, the guards) are that good. I felt, considering the space restriction, that a good amount of depth was given to the significant characters in addition to the two leads.

Two other strengths of note: While I had some issue with the ending (see below), I also really liked it because of its resolution, but also because of how it played out from the beginning of the story. In addition, the use of submission and dominance between the two leads was well applied, although some of the roughness may be of concern to sensitive readers. It doesn't cross into a formal BDSM experience, although the authors were definitely flirting with the concepts.

Weaknesses
While I enjoyed the ending, it was a very surprising turn of events, even with hints littered through the story. The ending didn't ruin the novella, but it did catch me off guard.

Additionally, certain elements of the prison and prison life felt a touch cliche and stereotyped, but because it was built so well, I didn't mind the potential fallacy.

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

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Jenre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, drama, m-m, bdsm, romance, paranormal

I read this story before Christmas and was going to review it then but I read a review by DarienMoya (this was quite unusual because I rarely read reviews of books I'm going to review myself) which made me look at the story from an entirely different angle. Since then, I've spent a bit of time pondering the story. It begins as a fairly straightforward prison drama. Troy has been imprisoned when a robbery he was involved in with his twin brother went wrong. His brother killed a cop before going d...more I read this story before Christmas and was going to review it then but I read a review by DarienMoya (this was quite unusual because I rarely read reviews of books I'm going to review myself) which made me look at the story from an entirely different angle. Since then, I've spent a bit of time pondering the story. It begins as a fairly straightforward prison drama. Troy has been imprisoned when a robbery he was involved in with his twin brother went wrong. His brother killed a cop before going down in a hail of bullets, leaving Troy with the blame and a life sentence. He's struggling to get into the prison routine when former mobster Franchetti gives him a choice: Kill inmate Daniel or be killed himself. Troy sets out to seduce Daniel as a prelude to killing him, only to find himself drawn to Daniel whose presence offers safety and security to the out-of-his-depth Troy.

Troy was a very interesting character. He's been dominated by his twin all his life and now is adrift without his guiding presence. He's mentally not too stable, on the verge of a breakdown and the pressure of having to kill Daniel, plus the fact that he keeps being attacked by Franchetti's goon, allows us to see a man on the edge. Daniel protects Troy, but a bad experience in the past makes him keep Troy at arms length. So far so good. There's then a point in the book where the story reaches a crisis point, before moving into a slightly paranormal ending involving a statue of the god Saturn. This can either be taken at face value into a HEA, or it can be seen from the deranged point of view of a man who has lost everything and retreated into the security of his own mind. It was all rather clever and engaged my brain as I re-read the story from the alternative side of things, making it a much better and more unusual story than I thought at first.

The story isn't going to be to everyone's taste because there's a lot of rather graphic violence in the story, plus a hint of dub-con sex, but I thought it a unique twist on the usual romance stories out there. (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 26, 2012 Veronica / V rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: everybody-loved-and-i-didn-t

When I bought this book I though this can't possible finish well, and I wasn't expecting a HEA.
Although the story is not bad for only 55 pages the ending is shocking, very vague and silly for 2 people who are in jail serving a life sentence.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Eve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lovely story - very well written, stylistically beautiful, and Troy and Daniel make a sexy pair. This would have been a five-star for me if the ending had been just a little bit better supported by the earlier parts of the book. Actually the character development is well supported and consistent throughout, and I felt the plot needed more foreshadowing. (view spoiler)...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 20, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really, really liked this! I generally avoid prison-themed stories because they make me uncomfortable, especially with the high probability of nonconsensual elements, but I'm so glad I gave this a chance. Troy's character was well-developed, especially considering the short time they had to do it, and the relationship between him and Daniel was interesting and super enjoyable. All of the other characters, even the minor ones, were diverse and memorable.

I loved the ending, and I've been thinkin...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Adara rated it 2 of 5 stars

The first word that comes to mind for this story is: disappointing. I don't know whether to label it contemporary or fantasy. It is basically contemporary, and then at the end there's a magical POOF! of "there's your HEA." OMG, I wanted to hurl it so badly for that cop out for which there was no build up at all. Just there, done.

I was looking for something along the lines of Under Grand Hotel, Volume 01, and thought this would fit the bill. And certainly the first 85% to 90%, that's true. It's c...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2012 Valentina Heart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: glbt, glbt-sf-futur-fantasy-paran, the-romance-reviews

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

I'm still debating how to rate this short story although I've read it days ago. Maybe I should give a star extra just because it was interesting enough to induce such a conflicting reaction, but in any case I've finally decided to write a review thinking it might help me decide.

Troy is serving a life prison sentence despite not being the man behind the violence when it came to his crimes, but all he really wan...more This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

I'm still debating how to rate this short story although I've read it days ago. Maybe I should give a star extra just because it was interesting enough to induce such a conflicting reaction, but in any case I've finally decided to write a review thinking it might help me decide.

Troy is serving a life prison sentence despite not being the man behind the violence when it came to his crimes, but all he really wants is to take his punishment in peace and live it day by day. Unfortunately Troy is on the pretty side and as luck would have it, he's just the type Daniel Amato goes for. Franchetti, a mobster in prison, wants to get rid of Daniel and thinks Troy fits perfectly into his plans. Soon Troy has to come to a decision--get raped and tortured, or seduce Daniel and eventually kill him for Franchetti. Not an easy decision, one that quickly became even more difficult.

I'm a bit reluctant to take on prison stories, especially those set in present time. My main reason for that is the difficulty of having a happy ending when there are so many things that are almost guaranteed to go wrong. Still, this one was short and sounded interesting. It turns out, these are the authors who can make a short story very sweet and the emotional side of it fit perfectly with the physical side. I liked the rough edges of the prison and the lack of sugarcoating many authors prefer, but also the way both men were far from perfect.

Why I'm still debating over the rating is because the first part of the story is definitely a four star for me, but the ending turned toward that paranormal side which dimmed the experience. It also ended in a way that is open for interpretation. It makes you wonder what is real and what's not. I've read a few other reviews just to make it clear for myself, and the general conclusion was that it is in fact an unoptimistic ending for a couple and that usually means some people will like the story and some won't.

I think it could have been expanded some more and turned completely into a paranormal story just to sweeten up the deal, or there should have been some clear words saying how the magic dissipated and the reality sat in. It is one of my preferences that I like the endings to be clear and on the happy side. There's way too much of the negative happening in real life for my tastes and I prefer not to cry over books as well.

So my final rating is the way it is, but these two authors do have a talent for taking on the difficult and presenting alternatives to their readers. Definitely worth another look.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: prison, dark, christmas, first-time

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 07, 2013 Andie Johnston rated it 4 of 5 stars

like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Hearts On Fire Reviews added it

Reviewed by:Vivian A.
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Rated: 3 hearts

Check out the review at: Hearts On Fire Reviews

like · see review

Mar 23, 2012 Violetta Vane added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: publications, mm, multicultural-or-interracial

For anyone who might be interested, we just put up a dedicated site with multimedia extras.

1 like · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 BTina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, contemporary, length-2-short-10k-49k, fairytale, read-2012, zz-mm-read, zzz-chall-mm-month-2012

I like The Saturnalia Effect but I'm not really sure why. The story was short, there was not much room for background, the plot was cliché. Little guy needs protector in big prison and falls in love with him. (Something has to be seriously wrong with a penalty system that teaches thieves to become murderers instead of nice neighbors.) I already forgot the names of the MCs but I'm generally bad with names. I liked the fluffy fairytale feeling and the weird twist of roman magic. This is my favouri...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Saya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, paranormal

2.5
The ending is terrible...

like · see review

Jan 07, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, paranormal-romance, dubcon

I really enjoyed this. The story was unique, the sex was hot -- I just wish it were longer. There was definitely a novel's worth of content packed into this novella, and I loved the ambiguous ending.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 05, 2012 Adriana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, male-male, paranormal-fantasy, abuse-bullying-rape-or-violence

3.5

Minus 1 star for the paranormal ending... I would have love this more (even) with a bittersweet ending, but hey we got a HEA, a weird one.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Cecilia Rodriguez rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars
Weird and a bit confusing.

like · see review

May 13, 2013 Tamara Morgan marked it as to-read

May 13, 2013 Barb Gilmour rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 07, 2013 Zinger marked it as to-read

Apr 21, 2013 Maya marked it as to-read

Apr 10, 2013 Clover marked it as to-read

Apr 08, 2013 Shannon marked it as maybe

Apr 08, 2013 Foolish marked it as to-read

Shelves: dtr, m-m

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Storm_Moon_Press: Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane are at Romance Lives Forever!	1	4	Jan 19, 2012 02:19pm
Storm_Moon_Press: Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane are at It's Raining Men!	1	4	Jan 08, 2012 01:08pm

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Romance > M M Romance

12 users

Contemporary

6 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

4 users

Short Stories

2 users

Glbt > Gay

2 users

Glbt

2 users

Holiday

2 users

Romance

2 users

See top shelves...

About Heidi Belleau

Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town NB, Canada. She now lives in the rugged oil-patch frontier of Northern BC with her husband, an Irish ex-pat whose long work hours in the trades leave her plenty of quiet time to write. She has a degree in History from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in British and Irish studies; much of her work centred on popular culture, oral folklore,...more

More about Heidi Belleau...

Books by Heidi Belleau

The Druid Stone (Layers of the Otherworld, #1)

Mark of the Gladiator (Warriors of Rome, #4)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Saturnalia Ef...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Saturnalia Effect
avg rating	preview: The Saturnalia Effect Goodreads rating: 3.56 (41 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13163789-the-saturnalia-effect?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323207827l/13163789.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13163789-the-saturnalia-effect?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Saturnalia Effect by Heidi Belleau[/url]

The Saturnalia Effect

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (1)

Genres

About Heidi Belleau

Books by Heidi Belleau

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Saturnalia Ef...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)