Remastering Jerna

Aug 14, 2011 Spynonu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This book was so much more than what I was expecting.

Remastering Jerna starts out somewhat slow as it sets the story in place but once it gets rolling it rips your heart out and puts it back together numerous times.

Falsely accused of child perversion by his former masters current (underage and illegal) lover, Jerna, is sentenced to serve time in prison. He works a series of jobs within the cruel prison system - his status as a pedophile making him a mark for vicious treatment.

Running out o...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Loederkoningin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, captives-and-slaves, pampers-the-emo-within, dub-con-or-non-con

Well, selecting the better cover of the 2 versions was not a tough job this time.:p

Edit: maybe I was wrong about that. That other cover sorts of grows on you a little and this one really is too barbie dollish. Hmm.

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Bree Cheese rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-reads, bdsm, m-m, erotic-romance, read-for-challenge, dystopian-alternate-world

This is a wonderfully epic story about a man wrongly accused and sent to prison (in an alternate world setting), where he must pay off his debt to be free. During his incarceration his 'urges' which he thought were long buried, resurface and he's forced to choose between his long denied passions and his duty. This book was more then I was expecting, beautiful, tragic and erotic - it is a story of determination and moral perseverance in the face of losing everything. I really appreciated that the...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Dee Wy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, m-m, m-m-fantasy, slave-captive-prisoner, over-250-pgs, dark

Jerna's story is told in 280 pages, but it felt like an epic tale. A tale of love and betrayal, of hardships and punishments so dire, most in his position chose suicide rather than try to survive the nearly unbearable.

Jerna's strength and dedication to his code of ethics continually amazed me, and I came to understand that the human spirit indeed has no bounds. After watching his suffering, it was such a joy to see him find his happiness in the end. It's a story that cannot be read and the read...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 23, 2013 Nancy Carbajal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reread

Fantastic! Heres a book that brings you into the mind set of an alternative lifestyle. Set in a fantasy world, in a society that worships a women deity in motherly and loving fashion, Jerna is a good man who loves his life, his wife and children. But fate conspires against him by testing his limits and strengths when he is accused on the whim of someone underage of being sexually preyed upon. This is far from the truth and Jerna does what he can to rectify a situation where a friend/lover and fo...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 22, 2013 Vivian Archer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20130106wk, 2013-scavenger, erotic-futuristic

Grrr...I want to rate this book a 5, but I have issues with Jerna's character. The story is great; more complex than you'd expect with layers played through various characters who transect Jerna's life.

Part of me wants to wrap naive people in cotton batting and hide them from the world and other part wants to smack them upside the head and say, "Snap out of it!" And yes, the degree of patience lessens as the relative age of an individual increases. Maybe it's because I have chronic mistrust, bu...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Tamara Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romance

Remastering Jerna is the first bdsm novel I've read. I generally gravitate toward gentler stories, but was intrigued by the reviews for this one. I can say fairly that it lives up to its reviews. And, despite the violence I feared (and to a degree, received) in the story, this was still a gentler story than I expected, and a believable one. I was brought up in a household where a belt was regularly used as punishment, so I have a good deal of difficulty understanding why anyone would want to be...more Remastering Jerna is the first bdsm novel I've read. I generally gravitate toward gentler stories, but was intrigued by the reviews for this one. I can say fairly that it lives up to its reviews. And, despite the violence I feared (and to a degree, received) in the story, this was still a gentler story than I expected, and a believable one. I was brought up in a household where a belt was regularly used as punishment, so I have a good deal of difficulty understanding why anyone would want to be hit, in any context, even combined with sexual pleasure to alter the perception of pain. I'll confess that even after reading this book, I still don't really understand *why* Jerna wanted it, but it was crystal clear that it was a deep-seated need for him, a source of emotional and sexual freedom vital to his well-being. The author brought this across with such clarity, I did reach a point where I sympathized with his need, even when I didn't understand it.

Jerna is one of the most well-developed characters I've ever read. He was real and accessible. A good husband, a good father, he also had a tendency to be judgmental and hypocritical. To be fair, he seemed to set higher standards for himself than for everyone else, standards that hurt him more than anyone (though also, by extension, hurting his family). And yet he could lower those standards where the thoroughly reprehensible Kimis was concerned (and be much more forgiving than I would ever have been, maybe because I saw his decisions regarding Kimis as thoroughly wrong), which made me want to fiercely chastise Jerna for letting the man off the hook.

I was emotionally invested in Jerna's well-being by the time things got seriously bad for him. He had the most lovely vulnerabilities, and there was so much that he wanted and needed throughout the story---things you desperately want to see him win, because he fights nightmare after nightmare for the sake of his loved ones, even though he's ready, at the worst moments, to give up. This is a character you come to give a damn about, a character you worry for, a character who keeps you turning pages into the night, even though you know you'll be dog-tired the next day.

A lot of people don't care for first-person stories, but this story was meant to be first-person. It works perfectly in first, drawing you in, letting you live Jerna's experiences, and giving you interesting insights into what a bdsm relationship is all about. It's an enlightening read, in that regard. In third person, I might've just winced all the way through. In first, I really felt Jerna's sense of driving need and inexpressible---"joy" is the only word---in submitting to the domination of a man he grows to love.

And that was another aspect I especially loved about this book---the romance. I really didn't know where it was going at first, but (not to spoil you) when it gets there, it is *romantic* and sweet and genuine, as endearing a romance as any I've found in more conventional gay romances. This is quite a fascinating read, perhaps even more so if bdsm perplexes you. While I didn't come away with a complete understanding of why this particular need exists for someone, I did see the need in a new light, saw the emotional depths in such a relationship that I hadn't considered before.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 27, 2013 Jo * Smut-Dickted * rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: capture-dubcon-slave, m-m, read-on-kindle, mf, favorites, pushing-boundaries-mm

I began this book at 9pm last night and I clicked my last click at 4:48am and what was in between I will carry with me for the rest of my life. What an amazing tale of honor, perseverance, and sacrifice. What should come off as harsh and gritty and base here just doesn't in spite of the content. Jerna is capable of amazing love - and he felt absolutely real. In some stories the characters are larger than life - not so here. He faltered, he wept, he did not know if he could go on but he did go on...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Jaya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: good, slashreaders, series

Slash Readers : This is kind of a funny story though I actually do feel bad about it. I was actually quiet honored to have a couple of authors back then contact me and ask me to read their work and post reviews. I had always hoped that this community might be used in that away for people and authors to share books and requests. So, quiet a few years ago now, Ann Somerville actually contacted me and sent me the file for this book asking if I would read it and post a review of it on this group. We...more Slash Readers : This is kind of a funny story though I actually do feel bad about it. I was actually quiet honored to have a couple of authors back then contact me and ask me to read their work and post reviews. I had always hoped that this community might be used in that away for people and authors to share books and requests. So, quiet a few years ago now, Ann Somerville actually contacted me and sent me the file for this book asking if I would read it and post a review of it on this group. Well, being some what notorious weird in how I read things, I did not get to it right away. When I went to find the file of this book to read it a few months after being asked, I could not for the life of me find the file anywhere. I searched through my hard drive, my external drive, my email--everywhere that I could think of. So, I that point I considered it a lost cause and with some regret could not remember the exact title and author of the book and thus could not contact Somerville.

Recently, I purchased a new computer--and yes it was definitely time for that--during the process of transfering my files from various drives and disks to my new passport drive, I stumbled upon the file for this book. I decided that while, it might be much later than the author desired, it was better late than never. And in looking at Somerville's website, I am actually kinda glad to have waited. This book is actually the first of a trilogy of which all three are out. So, having purchased the later two books I plan on sinking back into this wonderfully well constructed world once more.

Lol, long introduction aside "Remastering Jerna" was not at all what I expected. I had moments where I both loved and hated this book all at once but unlike some previous moments of that this was mostly in the good way. I admit that I do not and have not read a lot of books that contain bondage content. So, this book was I suppose you might say a bit of an eye opener. I have attempted to read a few books before in the past and most of them have disappointingly been nothing but sex with a sprinkling of plot. "Remastering Jerna", was not that in the least. Indeed there was a lot of plot but what I liked the most was Jerna's character.

(view spoiler)

So, that being said if you don't care for bondage, violent content, prisoners being mistreated, or books that contain and revolve around high profile pleasure houses.... you probably want to find something else to read. There was a happy ending to go with it all. :) If you do not mind all of the above content then enjoy and I'll let you know how the next two books turn out.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Charly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Extremely painful to read at times, but an exceptional book

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 9/10

PROS:
- Jerna yearns for a relationship in which he can submit, yet he’s not painted at all as a weak or dependent character, physically or emotionally. I adore Sammy from Sean Michael’s Between Friends series, but the fact is that he doesn’t work very well by himself; he quite literally NEEDS his Dom, Peter, to ground him. This is not the case with Jerna:...more Extremely painful to read at times, but an exceptional book

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 9/10

PROS:
- Jerna yearns for a relationship in which he can submit, yet he’s not painted at all as a weak or dependent character, physically or emotionally. I adore Sammy from Sean Michael’s Between Friends series, but the fact is that he doesn’t work very well by himself; he quite literally NEEDS his Dom, Peter, to ground him. This is not the case with Jerna: he functions perfectly well as a strong husband and an independent man, which in my opinion makes his submission even more poignant.
- The setting is borderline fantasy, but the world of the story so closely resembles reality that many of the editorial comments about relationships, religion, the treatment of prisoners, etc. can be taken as an allegorical cautionary tale. It made me stop and think on more than one occasion.
- Somerville does an excellent job of creating believable situations in which sex is used to express a character’s emotions. There’s a decent amount of sex in this book, but none of it’s very graphic, and it always serves to illustrate Jerna’s emotional state.
- The sense of community that develops between Jerna and his co-workers (and clients) is heartwarming without being saccharine. And the ending, though not unequivocally happy and problem-free, is believable and perfectly suited to the story.

CONS:
- There are large sections of this book that are horribly painful emotionally. Jerna endures an unbelievable onslaught of dehumanizing physical torture and psychological abuse before his journey ends. This makes the ending that much more uplifting, of course, but I had a very difficult time reading parts of it.
- Although most of the characterization is very well done, there are a few characters whose actions are so unpredictable--good, then evil, then kind, then cruel--that they struck me as unrealistic.

Overall comments: I gave this book 5 stars not because I wholeheartedly enjoyed it, but because it’s fantastically written. The characterization of Jerna and several of the secondary characters is outstanding, but I found parts of the book--particularly the first 60 pages or so--so painful that I very nearly put it down without finishing it. I’m glad I did finish it, but I won’t be reading it again anytime soon.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Chloris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: oh-my-love

Voici un roman élégant où l'auteur transmet une vision différente des relations Dom/Sub en contrecarrant toutes les idées reçues, les images souvent outrancières, fausses ou ridicules appliquées à ce sujet.
C'est aussi une histoire d'amour.
Le style d'écriture est d'une grande limpidité, pas de grandes phrases, pas de descriptions fleuries, mais au contraire l'accès directement à une histoire où les évènements sont intelligemment orchestrés. Ann Somerville crée alors des personnages auxquels il de...more Voici un roman élégant où l'auteur transmet une vision différente des relations Dom/Sub en contrecarrant toutes les idées reçues, les images souvent outrancières, fausses ou ridicules appliquées à ce sujet.
C'est aussi une histoire d'amour.
Le style d'écriture est d'une grande limpidité, pas de grandes phrases, pas de descriptions fleuries, mais au contraire l'accès directement à une histoire où les évènements sont intelligemment orchestrés. Ann Somerville crée alors des personnages auxquels il devient facile de s'identifier car elle réussit à éviter les clichés.

Dans un univers fictionnel proche du nôtre (les personnages vivent dans un pays indéterminé soumis à gouvernemant proche d'une dictature) Jarna Setiq est un jeune homme respecté, aimé de sa femme et de ses deux enfants. Mais une accusation mensongère d'abus sur un enfant l'envoi en prison : il perd tout, même le droit de revoir un jour ses enfants. Il va subir alors les pires humiliations (mais attention, pas de descriptions horrifiantes ici, ce n'est pas le sujet du roman).
Mais jamais Jerna ne devient un être sans âme, déchu, indigne. Au contraire ! Si Jarna est un prisonnier, un esclave et un soumis il surtout à la fois incroyablement fort et vulnérable mais jamais faible ou ridicule. Et son intelligence lui permet de comprendre et de s'adapter aux pires situations.
C'est lors de cette terrible expérience que Jarna va redécouvrir l'espoir et l'amour avec Tolomy, un Dominant aussi fasinant qu'inquiétant.
Il s'agit alors d'une relation dom/sub où le maître découvre que pour avoir le droit à ce titre (Master) il doit d'abord apprendre à se connaître et gagner le respect de celui qui se soumet à lui.
Voici un citation, où justement Jarna tente de faire comprendre ce qu'il ressent, attend, en tant que soumis : "The craft of a master", I continued, choosing each word with care "is not imposing dominance, but winning submission. Mistress Vamowi asked for our voluntary submission to her for the scene and earned it afresh by her care for our needs and desires. The submission was granted, not taken". "Sir, if you hire someone, and order them to call you master, then it's like buying a sculpture and not making it. You are taking submission as a right, not earning it. What is not freely given, has no value, and harms both parties."

("L'art d'être maître", continuai-je en choisissant mes mots avec soin, "n'est pas d'imposer sa domination, mais de gagner la soumission. Maîtresse Vamowi a demandé notre soumission volontaire au cours de la scène et elle l'a méritée encore par l'attention accordée à nos besoins et nos désirs. La soumission a été accordée, pas prise." "Seigneur, si vous payez quelqu'un et exigez de lui qu'il vous appelle "maître", alors c'est comme acheter une statue au lieu de la modeler. Vous avez considéré ma soumission comme un droit, vous ne l'avez pas méritée. Ce qui n'est pas accordé librement n'a aucune valeur, et les deux parties sont blessées." )
(less)

like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Diana Blaylock rated it 1 of 5 stars

I tell you what, this book lacks...something. I dunno what, but I know it does. Is it long, which makes it boring, is it dramatic, it is tragic and I still have to finish it. There are too many facts and too many events, one after another, and the book doesn't give me time to digest all that information, to think it over and understand all the happenings.
I still have to get who is who 'cause babe, there are too many characters.
About Jerna - He has no dignity, no pride, no nothing. That's how I...more

like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Tere rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, señor-señor, esclavos, la-wea-la-zorra

I read this originally this book years ago, when they still were available online for reading. That time this left my with such a lasting impression, that now, many, many years after I came back to it to give it a second, much more serious read, just to confirm what a great book is.

I won't refer to the plot because it has been done previously, close much appropriately. But, besides from the plot, the characters are another really high point in the story.

One of the first (though kinda silly) th...more I read this originally this book years ago, when they still were available online for reading. That time this left my with such a lasting impression, that now, many, many years after I came back to it to give it a second, much more serious read, just to confirm what a great book is.

I won't refer to the plot because it has been done previously, close much appropriately. But, besides from the plot, the characters are another really high point in the story.

One of the first (though kinda silly) things in books that catches my attention it's the presence of strong female characters. I don't know why, but I like my slash fiction so much more when the female supporting characters shine on they on. Tyrme and Zeila, at least for me, made this story so appealing. They're both loving, strong, independent women that help the main male hero in a beautiful way.

That being said, Jerna and Ria are both amazing characters, both for very different reasons, both for being terribly easy to empathize with. Obviously we don't get to feel empathy for Ria, first known as Tolomi. But we get to follow him while he grows, changing from being evil and ignorant, then accepting the harm he has done and seeking to repair his mistake. He is beautifully drawn and, at the end of the book, we readers are in peace with him again.

Jerna is lovable in his own right, strong with a pure heart that make you cry blood for the injustice he faces. There is a particular scene in the book when we see him break down (really, really break) when you wish you could do something to comfort him. That point is a milestone in the whole process, the turning point from which he will start healing, albeit slowly, both body and mind.

The only point that slightly bothers me it's the ending, the "social" part of the ending. To come to a point when basic human rights are ignored and crushed, I found it... hard to believe how easily it seems to be fixed by popular demand. And hell, I love happy endings, I don't have anything against the "personal" ending for Jerna and the whole family situation. It's the corruption, it never goes away THAT easily.

I could write so much more, talk hours and hours about how much I love so many different aspects of this book (I didn't even mention the bdsm element, beautifully exposed, fundamental in Jerna and Ria's relationship), and still won't be enough. It's much definitely so worth reading and stored, and it always makes me feel warm inside. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Raji rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally reviewed at http://ramblingsofmind.blogspot.com/2...

Ann Somerville has done such a beautiful job sketching the entire world of Jerna and the surrounding characters. Jerna was a wonderfully fresh character – you get irritated and exasperated that he is hell-bent on being so moral about everything even when it is his life at stake. I am not very happy about this – one of the reasons why is because Hindu Mythology is filled with characters who sell their wife or sacrifice their son or...more Originally reviewed at http://ramblingsofmind.blogspot.com/2...

Ann Somerville has done such a beautiful job sketching the entire world of Jerna and the surrounding characters. Jerna was a wonderfully fresh character – you get irritated and exasperated that he is hell-bent on being so moral about everything even when it is his life at stake. I am not very happy about this – one of the reasons why is because Hindu Mythology is filled with characters who sell their wife or sacrifice their son or give up their brothers just because it was supposed to be right. I am not sure how I feel about that. But you do develop a grudging admiration about the fearless way in which he goes.

It was very intense and during the first half of the book it seems that there is no justice in the world, there is no reprieve for our hero. But slowly that changes. The prison scenes are heart wrenching. They also serve as a very good reminder of why Jerna has to do what he does further in the book. Even though this story is supposed to be set in a parallel world, almost everything is same as our world and it found me nodding vigorously about some customs and the nature of the people. The second protagonist doesn’t make an appearance until halfway through the book and flips Jerna’s world upside down.
I find the world of BDSM, D/S culture and Master/Slave culture very intriguing so it was a wonderful way to observe more explanation about this when Jerna teaches the second protagonist, Tolomi, what he is doing wrong as a Master. It was an interesting concept that a slave was teaching a Dom or a Master about why the rituals are in place and how they are supposed to bring the participants closer.

Tolomi was a beautiful character even though he fumbles at first. I loved his desperation on seeing he is not getting his enjoyment in dominating (even though he knows he likes that), his willingness to learn and his humility when a slave wants to teach him the right way. I shed a tear when, again, Jerna bows down to his duty (and the other half of his heart – his wife) rather than his love for Tolomi. My heart broke for the pair (doesn’t it suck when you know what the characters are doing are right but you anyway don’t want them to do it? Go marry the guy you love even if your childhood friend needs you!). Tyrme was another amazing character. I think she would be considered an ideal wife – supportive of her husband but questions him when she thinks he is leaning towards duty more than his family. I won’t reveal the ending but I was so very glad that she was in Jerna’s life.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

May 03, 2013 Gerry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I added this book some time ago and I'm not really sure how I came across it. I had just completed a really emotional book and needed something to really shake me up out of my book reading coma, well, this is what I chose. This is not a book for everyone to enjoy as it contains scenes of sexual abuse, rape and m/m but not too vividly, it is also set in an incomprehensible time frame but this only really came into it at the beginning when the scene is being set.

Jerna, oh Jerna, what a faithful an...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2010 Kat at Book Thingo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-authors, in-shelf, keepers, glbt, romance-erotic

If, like me, you’re frustrated by the lack emotional depth in many BDSM romances, I’d strongly recommend Remastering Jerna. Forget about any ick factors—if this book doesn’t help you see past those, I’m not sure anything will.

The book starts a little shakily as Somerville sets up the protagonist, Jerna Setiq, a devoted husband, teacher and father of two, whose contented life is decimated when he’s falsely convicted of child perversion. Once the stage is set for Jerna’s emotional journey, however...more If, like me, you’re frustrated by the lack emotional depth in many BDSM romances, I’d strongly recommend Remastering Jerna. Forget about any ick factors—if this book doesn’t help you see past those, I’m not sure anything will.

The book starts a little shakily as Somerville sets up the protagonist, Jerna Setiq, a devoted husband, teacher and father of two, whose contented life is decimated when he’s falsely convicted of child perversion. Once the stage is set for Jerna’s emotional journey, however, Somerville gets it just about perfect.

As a prisoner, Jerna endures a level of brutality that is magnified by the world in which Somerville places him. Although I was braced for some shocking scenes, Somerville’s narrative isn’t gratuitous.Jerna’s psychological turmoil, his sense of helplessness and hopelessness, and his attempts to make sense of his situation were at once terrible and beautiful to read. In despair, Jerna applies for a job at Winds of Paradise hotel, a high-end brothel ‘that catered to every legal sexual whim imaginable’ and one of the few residential positions open to prisoners. Despite the improved conditions, Jerna never manages to forget that he’s only one complaint away from being sent back to prison.

Somerville takes her time setting up the most intense sexual and emotional scenes in this book, and I’m telling you now: it’s worth the wait. Somerville cleverly sets up three contrasting situations -- humiliation at the hands of callous employers and guards, submission freely given, and ‘domination by numbers’ -- and their differences couldn’t be more obvious. This is no BDSM-lite story. Jerna’s pain -- and pleasure -- feels real, his emotional responses even more so. But Somerville is a skilful guide. She builds on each scene, adding a little more pain and a little more emotion, inviting the reader to trust her so that some of the most challenging scenes become not only tolerable but deeply romantic.

My main problem with Remastering Jerna is the ending, which is suspiciously convenient and somewhat rushed.

Nevertheless, Remastering Jerna’s plot and characters are carefully developed, and the book’s underpinning ideas of consent, submission, domination and, to some extent, love are explored from different perspectives, giving the story layers of meaning that I don’t feel I could fully appreciate from just the one read. This is definitely a keeper.

You can read my full review at Book Thingo.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Yblees rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-favorites

NOTE: Cover art is by Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, titled Academic Study From Life. (shame the publisher didn't bother to acknowledge that online.)

This book made me cry so hard. I think the last time I cried this much over a book was with the ending of Jodi Picoult's Brokeback Mountain short story. But that was just the last few pages. With this, it was almost right from the beginning, and then right through until almost to the end of a fairly significant page count.
I loved it.

But the ending rath...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Lola rated it 4 of 5 stars

So the story is set in another reality, maybe in the future, more like another reality though. This whole book is very detailed on the concept of BDSM. It is actually through this book that I viewed BDSM not as a bad thing, but a different choice. I always though BDSM people were kid of crazy, but this book helped me move on from my prejudice. BDSM is as much about trust and love as about the sexuality of foreplay.

Anyhow, while I do admit I skipped many a pages before introduction of Tolomy, I w...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 17, 2011 Michael Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-bdsm, gay-speculative

Remastering Jerna is a really dark tale of suffering and redemption. In it, the author has created an alternate world not unlike our own, but with significant small differences. She spends many pages drawing this world and the main characters in rich detail, making everything three dimensional and very real in a very readable style that gradually draws you in.

The title character, Jerna, is teacher in a temple school with a wife and two daughters. While he loves his wife and children, Jerna harbo...more Remastering Jerna is a really dark tale of suffering and redemption. In it, the author has created an alternate world not unlike our own, but with significant small differences. She spends many pages drawing this world and the main characters in rich detail, making everything three dimensional and very real in a very readable style that gradually draws you in.

The title character, Jerna, is teacher in a temple school with a wife and two daughters. While he loves his wife and children, Jerna harbors desires he has suppressed and kept secret for many years. He was once a submissive with an incredible capacity for pain, who served a master. But then an innocent favor for his old master results in Jerna being falsely accused and convicted of a crime.

In Jerna’s world, prisoners are a source of cheap labor, and criminals are sentenced not to a term of years, but to a value of recompense. Jerna’s sentence will take years to pay off, under some of the most cruel circumstances. He seriously considers suicide, but then his family would be saddled with his debt, and his honor won’t allow that. Even if he does manage to earn enough to end his sentence, it’s doubtful he could ever return to his family due to the scandal of his conviction.

Just when it all seems completely hopeless, Jerna gains a position that gives him some respite from the backbreaking work of the factories. But this new job reawakens Jerna’s old submissive desires, and soon he’s drawn into a relationship that may pull him further away from his family.

The author has a knack for putting her lead characters in situations where there’s no obvious way they can escape, and be happy, without making impossible sacrifices. She keeps you guessing, and reading – I can easily be drawn into reading her work into the wee hours of the morning, trying – and failing – to figure out where the story is going.

Aside from the author’s masterful world-building and character development, what I found really interesting in this novel was the frank discussion of the sado-masochistic scene and the proper training of dominants. Although it doesn’t necessarily give us any insights into why someone needs to be a dominant or submissive, it does give some very useful information for those curious about this world, in a very entertaining and readable style.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2013 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a story that had me somewhat bothered. I just hate when a lie ruins someones life. And that's what happened to Jerna. And so because of his strong faith in his Goddess he took prison then rat out others involved with said lie.

Enduring a year of rape, starvation, humiliation, torture, and attempted murders to his body he is finally on the verge of suicide. When he takes a job working at a brothel as a whore, and this changes his life. For the worst/better.

I won't say too much, but I will...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Basia Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a story I’d been planning to read for some time, but for whatever reason hadn’t done so yet. So when the author offered me a review copy I was more than happy to accept it.

I finished Remastering Jerna a few days ago and have been trying to figure out my thoughts. The only explanation I can come up with to describe the way I feel about this book is to say that – in every way – it was so much more than I hoped it would be.

From the anger the story evokes at the beginning, to the interesting...more This is a story I’d been planning to read for some time, but for whatever reason hadn’t done so yet. So when the author offered me a review copy I was more than happy to accept it.

I finished Remastering Jerna a few days ago and have been trying to figure out my thoughts. The only explanation I can come up with to describe the way I feel about this book is to say that – in every way – it was so much more than I hoped it would be.

From the anger the story evokes at the beginning, to the interesting explorations of sexuality, to the excellent BDSM, to the surprisingly touching relationship later in the book, there was a lot to take in.

You can always tell a book is good if you’ve bookmarked sections to go back to as soon as you’ve finished. I stayed up reading Remastering Jerna until the early hours of the morning, and then got up the next day and reread my favourite parts.

I’ve heard people call this book heartbreaking, emotional, moving, and many other things to that effect, and I found all those descriptions to be correct. The injustices done to the narrator – Jerna – at various times in the book are horrific, and you’ll find yourself turning the pages fast to see how justice will be done. The society the story is set in is both refined and awful, and very well thought-out. The world within the world – what is essentially a high end brothel where Jerna finds himself stationed – was a place I could have read a lot more about.

There’s a point where Jerna makes his one true mistake, which sets into motion both a breakdown and also the groundwork for an unlikely relationship. The raw emotion through this part was something not many authors are able to capture. I wanted to reach into the book, get hold of Jerna myself, and hug him or something. It is a part of the book I have found myself going back to more than once.

The BDSM is just one part of the story, and yet I really liked the way it was handled. Things weren’t miraculous and perfect from the start, and the author took the time to show us how a person with good intentions can get their motives mixed up and cross the line from power play into abuse. Watching someone learn how and why things went so wrong, and then put everything into changing their ways, was a side of BDSM you don’t come across often in books.

The cast of characters in Remastering Jerna. is large, and yet I came to like, loathe or respect them for their individuality. There’re too many to mention, but the secondary characters in this story are as much a reason to like the book as the more prominent characters are.

Unlike many M/M stories, the author shows respect to women, and a character’s gender in this one is definitely not the deciding factor for their goodness or lack thereof. There’re strong, influential characters of every gender and orientation here.

Recommended for fans of M/M, BDSM, erotica, erotic romance… most people, when it comes down to it!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 23, 2013 Ella Bella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bdsm, ebooks, favorites, mm, tear-jerkers, ultimate-favorites

Beautiful. Heartbreaking.

This book emotionally destroyed me over and over again, but I loved every minute of it.

No one can read this book without becoming emotionally involved with the characters. These are some of the best written characters I've ever come across. You won't love them in spite of their flaws, but because of them. Of course, I'm not saying there won't be times you'll want to strangle them, but every character is worth any frustration they may bring.

Jerna's story is amazing and...more

1 like · like · see review

May 09, 2013 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I give this book a higher rating because it was imaginative. The setting is a fantasy world, similar to our own modern life, but with a very harsh criminal justice system. The book is harsh, there is rape, treatment of humans as slaves, cruelty, and violence. However, the main character, Jerna, narrates the story in a calm and tasteful voice. The author does well to develop both benevolent and dangerous characters; some characters are bits of both. The romance is very slow to develop and happens...more

like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Sasha Conte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, 2012-challenge-of-100-books, gritty

This book is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Remastering Jerna introduces the reader to a harsh alternate world (or universe) where public floggings and enslavement are common punishments. Jerna suffers just such a fate and looses everything he holds dear. This book is his journey through deprivation, what amounts to torture, and an emotional suffering so intense it's almost painful for the reader (well it was for me).

And yet, despite all that, Ms Somerville manages to end it happily, at...more

like · see review

Sep 19, 2010 Juli rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a thoroughly engaging story about a man accused of child molestation of a young man who is the current submissive of his former master. Instead of turning in his former master for reasons explained in the story. He is sentenced to instead of a set number of years in prison he has to repay a certain amount of "roils." This also causes him to get divorced from his wife so she can keep custody of their two children.

When he gets to prison he is subjected to the most degrading, horrid and dow...more This is a thoroughly engaging story about a man accused of child molestation of a young man who is the current submissive of his former master. Instead of turning in his former master for reasons explained in the story. He is sentenced to instead of a set number of years in prison he has to repay a certain amount of "roils." This also causes him to get divorced from his wife so she can keep custody of their two children.

When he gets to prison he is subjected to the most degrading, horrid and down right disgusting situations from inside and outside the prison. He is also not allowed to go outside, talk to other prisoners or his family for the entire length of his prison sentence. The only thing that stops him from killing himself is not being a further burden on his family. One day after getting fired from another job he sees a job at a specialty hotel for a server which entails much more than just serving drinks which doesn't disturb Jerna as he is willing to do anything to pay off his debt so his family is not burdened by the debt.

Once he gets to the hotel his life changes dramtically as he treated like a human again after over a year of prison. Things go extremely well for Jerna as he adapts to his new job quickly and begins to work off his debt much quicker. One night he is offered a place in their "club" which entails a spot on the stage show with the resident "Mistress" and this is where something happens that changes his life forever. He meets Tolomi a "dom" who doesn't have a clue on how to be a real dominant.

Through the remainder of the book Jerna teaches Tolomi how to be a real dom and Tolomi opens Jerna's heart to a love he never expected.

Okay now for th acutal review... I can't express how much I loved this books. From page one until the end I couldn't put it down. Every time Jerna suffered another cruelty or set back my heart broke for him. Now when he met Tolomi things went horrible at first but as their relationship progressed my heart lept with every high and low. When Jerna is finally "released" from his sentence and breaks it off with Tolomi I admit I cried, the emotions of the two just broke my heart.

I loved every character in this book from Jerna's wife to all of the characters at the "hotel." Every one had something to contribute to the story and the sacrifices just made this a richer and deeper story.

I can't recommend this books enough.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Ayanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magnum-opus, reviewed, evocative-or-edifying, favorites

Tolomi's name seems to be an interesting nod to "Ptolemy" ("warlike" or "son of war," interestingly enough).

But I'm kind of disappointed. I mean, it was going so well - it was very articulate, eloquent, and it demonstrated quite a nice vocabulary...and then that author-lady was "pouring" over books.

Hmm...it's certainly an interesting read. There are moments when it gets bland. I kept drifting away from it, which is why it took me so long to read.

There were parts that seemed...too easy or somethi...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 J.P. Barnaby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, m-m, erotica, __books-i-recommend

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

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2009 Latetocomics rated it 5 of 5 stars

I didn't purposely write any comments after reading Remastering Jerna. I wanted to think about it, mull over it, decide why I liked it and why it moved me. It was captivating. I was almost nervous to start reading this book, but I am glad I did.

A very gentle soul experiences lies, betrayal, brutality - and loses everything - his job, his wife, his kids, his home - and is put into what was a harsh and barbaric prison system - and still I was captivated. The D/s relationship that evolves and the...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Page Crusherz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a little conflicted. I mostly enjoyed it, but it was pretty dark. I didn't feel like I "got" Jerna the way I wanted to, and I definitely wanted to know more about Ria. Jerna comes off a little too good and forgiving...and Ria, I know there was more to him. The plot was engaging, the setting was vivid, and I thought the BDSM part was handled interestingly. I don't know if I can totally forgive Ria, but maybe with relation to the setting I can, since that life was all he knew. I am glad I read...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 08, 2013 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book, like many of Ann Somerville's, is quite simply an odyssey.
Poor Jerna goes through all sorts of dreadful things, and yet his personality remains intact and admirable. You can't help rooting for him throughout, and the book is quite difficult to read in some sections.
Yet you trust (and Ann doesn't disappoint) that eventually he will be saved.
The ending is satisfying all round; I'll say no more than that.
I have the two sequels, thanks to a wonderful deal on Smashwords last month, so I've...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Remastering Jerna
avg rating	preview: Remastering Jerna Goodreads rating: 4.23 (363 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6713614-remastering-jerna?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347385965l/6713614.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6713614-remastering-jerna?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Remastering Jerna by Ann Somerville[/url]

Remastering Jerna (Remastering Jerna #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Ann Somerville

Books by Ann Somerville

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Remastering Jerna