Dead to the World

Water Lovers of Sirilon #3

by L.E. Bryce

Servant and consort of the Lady of the Waters, a powerful sea goddess, Erred is captured by slave traders during a pilgrimage and borne across the desert to be sold. In the decadent city of Tajhaan, he is trained in the arts of love to become a pleasure slave and eventually a courtesan. But in the claustrophobic world of intrigue and brutality he inhabits, what place is there for hope, faith, or love?

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, BDSM, Dark, Abuse, Shapeshifters, Prostitution

299 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

L.E. Bryce was born in Los Angeles, California and has never lived anywhere else. She has a Masters in English Literature from California State University, Northridge. Her Jewish mother, her dog and passel of cats help her keep her sanity.

Reviews

[Emma Sea]

If you like soap operas, non-con, and m/m, you'll love this. Sadly I like only two of these three things, so for me the book wasn't a winner.

The book is absolutely a page-turner, and lulled me into a kind of hypnotic state, where I kept going to find out what was going to happen next, but none of it brought me any peace or fulfillment. It was like watching Food Network while hungry.

Bryce does a lot of things well. The characters are excellent. She manages to convey the sense of two world-views coming together, each completely failing to understand why the other would behave in a particular way, or believe in a certain set of principles. Both cultures are written vividly and realistically: I always had the sense that this was a real world I would love to visit.

However I found it strangly unsatisfying. I had a weird sense that the point of the story was just about to appear, but it never did. Something happens, another thing happens, this person does this, that person does that. . . it's fine on one level in that a lot of plot passes under the bridge, yet it didn't raise my spirits, charm my soul, or lighten my heart. Nor did it drag a tear out of me (which is my fallback wish if the first three don't happen).

The book becomes just a long litany of stuff happening. Actually, it could be the orignal definition of yaoi; no climax, no point. When the book finished I sat there with my mouth open. Had this been a paperback and not an e-book, I would have assumed some pages fell out. The long list of stuff happening just stopped. Dead. Like it had been run over by a car.

Life is already like a long list of stuff happening. In my m/m I'm looking for true love; soul mates separated by trauma, eventually reunited. Romantic misunderstandings finally overcome. Committed couple overcoming what life throws at them together and standing strong. Star-crossed lovers forgiving each other's sins and infidelities. Heart-sick man in denial finally achieving self-knowledge. Or a pretty boy (or a strong man: bears - mmmm) suffering under whips, floggers, crops, dildos, blindfolds, scalpels, or branding irons beneath the hand of one whom they worship. In this book I got none of those. It felt like a non-con/rape Young and the Restless.

Here's what would have redeemed it for me Instead of Erred being all like "We were just together because it was convenient," he would have loved Tharril truly madly deeply, and when they were reunited they would have been kept apart because of hurty comforty reasons, and not because Erred wasn't sure if they'd work out.

Frankly, this review shows I am just bloody picky and annoying. First I whine there's not enough hurt (The Surrogate), then I bitch that this book has enough hurt but I wanted love as well.

[Vivian ♪(┌・。・)┌]

I confess: the title of this book confounds me. It's strangely fitting - my dubious interpretation being that it describes the state of the main character (Erred) throughout nearly the entire book - but at the same time, it's an incredibly odd thing to allude to in a book title. What it does do, however, is hint at the tone of the novel; i.e. miserable. I admit I far more enjoy fluffy reads or, at least, books that contain some sort of humor, but that's really quite the opposite of this book. I always appreciate a good slave fic, but - to my embarrassment - I definitely prefer the happier, obviously more romanticised, stories of this genre.

Everything about this book was very well done. The writing is incredibly decent and -- if I had the confidence to claim such a thing -- is actually very good. I found no obvious editing mistakes which is always a win, and the author paints an incredibly realistic, functional fantasy world -- realistic enough to make me grimace and lose faith in humanity, as our world often does.The cultures and religions and world which were created by the author and breathed life into are fascinating and hypnotising in their complexity. The deeds done and deeds suffered in this novel is incredibly painful to read about and horrifically brutal, something which definitely suggests a slave fic done well. The characters are skilfully fleshed out and all very true to life and strictly grey zone, which often makes them difficult to like, but the realism and skill involved is appreciated and noted nonetheless.

There is a weird feeling you get while reading this book-- this odd sense of being directionless, floating aimlessly in an ocean. There isn't really a climax or anything of a sort; for me, I spent the entire book feeling a muted yet heightened sense of unease that didn't relent, even when painful situations relieved themselves.

Something of importance to note if you are planning to tackle this is that although this is a romance the main character not only passes through several masters and 'lovers' (if you can call them that, but a word with such positive connotations can't really be used to describe them) but he also forms bonds with them on varying levels which may confuse you. I spent much of the time trying to guess who Erred would eventually end up with, if he would be in a true relationship with anyone at all and even worrying about if he would end up with this or that person. In saying that, if you're looking for a classic romance, a happy romance or a slave fic where there is a clear love interest, this book is not what you should be perusing. There isn't much satisfaction we readers get from the romance, unfortunately (and here is the part where I would love some romanticisation); the damage done from suffering so much brutality makes love seem quite a distant and unfathomable concept. Even when there love to be had, it's not the typical, clear, all-conquering and burning passion that makes us all fuzzy inside.

However, not matter what you are or are not looking for currently, this is definitely a good read. Although I didn't enjoy this book (If 'enjoy' literally means joy and fuzzy feels) I was captivated -- enthralled even -- by the descriptive writing and brutal tale told.

Rating: 4.5

[Jyanx]

Really well done fantasy. I love how the author dealt with complex, and difficult issues in an honest way. I liked that it didn't read like a romance with a perfect HEA, but as something darker, but more real and better for that in my opinion.

[Kynthos-the-Archer (Kyn)]

It's a fantasy story with supernatural events but with such a refreshing storyline. Out of this world kind of special. Amazing world building with interesting culture and beliefs.

It contains tons of noncon. Listing a few here:- kidnapping, slavery with pleasure slave training, slave ownership exchange/multiple masters, slave loaning/renting, an ethereal being as the exquisite slave in this story (not the androgenous type), love & betrayal, torture & mutilation, suicide attempt, murder and of course sex the rough kind and also the gentle loving kind.

I totally recommend this book to anyone who adores great storyline with good dose of angst and pretty boys.

[Dreamer]

5 stars. I love a good m/m slave fic and this one did not disappoint. Well-written and pushed all the right buttons. N.B. This is not a book 3 but a stand-alone novel.

Erred is a beautiful young man captured into slavery and subjected to the whims of a succession of masters. He is also a 'taleve,' servant and lover to the Lady of the Waters, a water goddess.

"My lord, you give me gifts but you do not treat me as a person. To you, I am only a piece of property to be used or bartered for favors."

Unexpected laughter greeted this statement. "Arqui, you are property," said Arjha. "How is it that you still do not understand this?"

[LD Durham]

This review refers to the ebook version.

This book filled me with a lot of mixed emotions.

It was an engrossing tale. It sucked me in with only the first few paragraphs. The author used the emotions and descriptions well in the first chapter and it completely captured me and made me want to continue.

I am a huge advocate for the writer’s creed “Show, don’t tell”. I want to see and feel everything I can. But in this book there was a lot of telling and it really suited the story. A lot of ground, people, and years are covered in this epic. I think the best way to describe this would be to liken it to old-time tales that are laid out by events.

This is a long novel. There is a lot going on and while a lot of it feels familiar if you have read any of the harem romances in the hetero genre, there are some big differences, as well. There is an element of magic and mystery in this book. It’s almost subtle in the way it is used. I liked the way Bryce couched it in the religion aspect. Erred is faithful even as he feels his deity has turned away from him. You understand that even as his faith begins to slip, he clings to his prayers, meditations, and other daily rituals to help him through his ordeal.

And it is an ordeal.

Erred is a survivor. He’s not a feisty character, or a fighter, but a survivor who did his best to remain sane and controlled in such a foreign and hostile land for him. He is the reed that bends in the wind instead of snapping, and by doing so learned how to adapt and negotiate his new world.

I think the only drawback to this book is that I felt it was, well, passionless. Not necessarily dry, but not as lush as one would expect in a setting such as the “decadent city of Tajhaan”. It felt as if I was just skimming along. Even Erred was still somewhat of a distant character to me. Sex scenes were described briefly and vaguely. In the beginning of the story, I can understand why since it was rough and forced sex. But when Erred falls in love, I just didn’t feel it. I admit, I like my sex scenes. I’m not saying I need them, but I think if Bryce had utilized explicitness in the scenes when love was present, the impact would have been tremendous. By drawing them all the same way — forced, political, or love — none of them felt different than the other for me, and therefore none of them felt more significant than another.

I wish I had had my head in a more literary set so that I could enjoy the novel more. As it was, I kept trying to hook Erred up with every strong lead character and was lamenting the lack of love scenes. I have to admit being initially dissatisfied with the novel, especially the ending. But time has passed and I have realized what a wonderful, and yes, beautiful tale I had read. I have come to find a new appreciation for it.

Dead to the World is well thought out and well written. Overall, it was very entertaining and enthralling.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the harem-and-sultan stories or if you like epic-styled tales of survival. And if you enjoyed Bertrice Small’s The Kadin, this is right up your alley.

For more of the review for this book, see Top & Bottom Book Review.

[SueM]

Whilst the third in a series, I enjoyed this story without having read the previous two, so I'm not exactly sure if it is necessary to do so.

This is a story of Erred, a Prince's son, one bound as a mystical servant to the Lady of the Waters, who is captured by raiders from a neighboring kingdom. Transported far from his home and across the desert, he is forced into the life of a sex-slave.

As per the expectations of the blurb/storyline, there are non-con and dub-con scenes in this story, as well as other scenes of violence. Erred's experiences are painful both physically and emotionally. His resignation to his new life, and well as his family's response to his experiences are heartbreaking, but I also liked the slow growth of inner strength that Erred develops with time. Not a story for the faint of heart, but it is not as explicit as many other stories of the same theme.

[Bella]

SPOILERS

I wanted to like this book. It had all the elements that I needed--good length, a horrible tragedy turning a noble son into a slave, a line of terrible owners, and then the High Prince stepping in for the rescue. I settled in for some angst, people. Bring the rain! I think somewhere along the second owner (Satu), I realized that it was NEVER going to happen.

At some point in the book, one of his master's renamed him Arqui for the cold snowy mountains. I thought that was entirely accurate. He showed little feeling throughout the entire book, and was like a cold, emotionless hull. As he went from owner to owner, new life to new life, I felt nothing for the characters. Even Tharril, his love interest (if you can call it that) was empty.

Because he is a worshiper of the Lady, much of the book is centered around this fantasy religion. He prays. A lot. He asks the Lady to help him. A lot. All in the same emotionless way. Well, if she wants to help me, she will; if not, then I've probably done something to displease her. He does not explain much of how the Lady works--he becomes uncomfortable when speaking of it, leaving much of her origin and ways a mystery. I wanted to know many things of this mysterious religion. Is Erred the only hrill spirit? Why did she choose the hrill for him? Why does she bequeath her chosen few with beauty, and why does it shorten their lives? Erred only mentioned a few things, and then once near the end, his bed was soaked in seawater when he awoke, and he knew the Lady had visited him. What does an encounter with her entail? How did she feel about him consuming hrill?

His love for Thanaj tastes a little too much like Stockholm syndrome for me. Especially since while Thanaj received him as his akiri, he could have freed him at any time. He chose not to, dangling the promise of release for some time in the future. But in the meantime, here's a room painted like the ocean to tide you over. I soon realized he was NOT the hero we were waiting for--especially since he continued to lend Erred out to others. Erred's brothers seemed more outraged for him than he was for himself. Even if he had accepted that in Tajhaan this just the way things were, surely he had some feeling about his previous owners mistreating him? But no. The lady has dealt with them and I'm done with that. When Thanaj expressed love for him before he left for the home journey (as opposed to an indulgent fondness for a pampered pet), I was absolutely confused. what? I pressed the left side of my iPad, shuffling through pages frantically. Did I skip something?

I soldiered on, waiting for this story to come to life. It never did. Even the sex was emotionless. By the time I was on page 200 or so, when they said he reached for the ties on his robe, I shifted into hyper speed mode and skimmed the four or five sentences that comprised each emotionless encounter.

That said, I will say the writer created quite an interesting world, and held my attention throughout (whether I was gnashing my teeth or not). I wish the hrill spirit of Erred had been embraced more--perhaps being so far from the ocean for even a week could be debilitating. I couldn't get an idea of what the hrill looked like--I pictured a fish, but then the book said he had a pelt. Then I pictured an otter like fish, but they said he had a tail and was rather large. In the end, I just pictured him like a dolphin-fish-otter creature and called it a day.

I wish Thanaj had been more of a hero figure and a real romantic interest. If he had loved him enough to make him his High Princess (if he'd been a woman), like he said, then he shouldn't have let him go. And if Erred cared about him like he said he did, then he should have stayed. Not went back with Tharril, of whom I was under the impression had been unceremoniously flung off a cliff a few chapters back. Above all, I wish the emotional depth that the story could reach had been explored a bit.

If you read this book as a fantasy, then you wont be disappointed. You will be drawn into a world of exotic lands, different customs, and strange deities. If you read it as a romance, you will not be a fan.

[Ryes]

From the summary, it looks like Dead to the World is going to be a romance novel. To call this a love story would probably be stretching it. Bryce focuses more on Erred's personal journey than his romantic interests.

The book is broken up into four parts, each focusing on Erred's relationship with his masters and his chosen partner in the end. Most of the novel is about Erred's adjustments to a foreign land and his masters' households. Bryce is extremely skilled at crafting a unique and almost tangible setting. The book is extremely long, however it doesn't feel that way. That can be attributed to the fact that Bryce can draw readers into the setting and make it hard for them to leave.

Erred is a believable character, with strengths and flaws. In fact, the novel is realistic in almost every aspect, if you don't consider the fact that this is meant to be fantasy. Erred is resistant to his new circumstances, but he is not violent or forceful about it. Eventually, as his situation sets in, he grows resigned and more accepting of his reality. His faith in the Lady of the Waters, a deity whom he serves, begins to strain. He thinks that she's forgotten all about him and left him to look out for himself in a foreign land. It was easy to empathize with him.

The only thing that disappointed me was the ending. Yes, it's realistic and I can't imagine it ending differently, but it felt strange. I expected Erred to end up with a different character because the book devoted much more time into developing their relationship than it did with the relationship of Erred and the one he eventually ended up with. I felt more sympathetic towards the other character because I knew him better and longer, and he had so many good traits that were absent in previous characters that Erred encountered in Tajhaan.

Despite the disappointing ending, the book as a whole was extremely addictive. The prose was direct and smooth and flowed very well. There was cohesion between the four parts of the novel and every issue is resolved by the end. Bryce has done a great job with Dead to the World and I highly recommend it.

Review first posted at Rainbow Reviews

PURCHASE LINK

[Carvedwood]

I have a great deal of admiration for Bryce’s abilities as an author, for how easily she was able to manipulate my responses and emotions. Sometimes a little too much response for my comfort. I'd never expected to identify with Erred, and yet that's exactly what I ended up doing. I suffered with and for him from beginning to end.

Thinking about it critically after I finished reading, I have to say that I’m glad Bryce skimped so much on unnecessary detail. No, I didn’t feel as though I were in Erred’s skin – but then, no author has ever succeeded in that, not even my favorite, so in my opinion, she accomplished something better. She provided enough description to put me into the scene and then left the rest up to me. Without the annoyance of being beaten over the head by details I didn’t care about and didn’t need, I was allowed the opportunity to use my own imagination – which is absolutely the greatest gift any author can give her readers.

One of the things that impressed me most in this book is that Bryce put so many layers of meaning into the use of Water as Erred’s deity that I could write an entire thesis on the subject. It wasn’t just a matter of a silver statue and a magical transformation for Erred. Water was the element that shaped his entire life. For instance, Erred came from a place where water, like love, was taken for granted, and was forced to leave that behind for a country where water (like love) was a luxury: hard to find, hard to hold, and impossible to take for granted.

The one thing that disappointed me was that I had hoped for a happier ending for Erred, that he would eventually find a love and a happiness that was worthy of what he’d had to go through to deserve it. But even this reaction, I suspect, is one that the author herself carefully fostered. By the time I finished the book, it seemed utterly logical to me that it would end the way it did, and I couldn’t imagine it realistically ending on a happier note.

This novel is beautiful. Not pretty – there’s nothing pretty about it. Beautiful in a way that a sword is beautiful, when it’s crafted by a master: clean, well-balanced, and so sharp that the reader is bleeding even before she’s aware of it.
Dead to the World was worth every penny I spent – and if I had really known what I was getting beforehand, I could have paid twice as much.

[Annette Gisby]

Dead to the World by L.E. Bryce


In a strange exotic land, Erred is an initiate of a powerful sea goddess. Without salt water he will die, as his spirit form is hrill, a type of creature reminiscent of a dolphin. On returning from a pilgrimage he and his entourage are attacked and at first the attackers think he is a woman with his silks and his veiled face. When it is discovered he is actually a very beautiful man, they decide not to kill him but capture him as a slave. Erred is taken across the desert to the city of Tajhann where he is trained to become a pleasure slave.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. It is beautifully written but the things that happen to Erred are not glossed over, including his first rape at the hands of a greedy merchant who bought Erred for his son but then couldn't resist having a taste of the slave himself. It is a brutal scene, with Erred being drugged and unable to defend himself at all. It is harrowing and you really feel for Erred, but although it is a difficult scene to read without it the book wouldn't have been as strong.

Erred is a slave, he is there for his master's pleasure and nothing else. As he progesses and obeys he is moved through the ranks and one day may have the option to become a free courtesan, wherin he will pick and choose his own clients, but up until then he has no say in who his masters wish him to pleasure.

The book does have a hopeful ending, but I don't want to give it away. The characters are well drawn and you feel yourself drawn into this world of slaves and courtesans where one wrong look or word can mean your death; where friendships are one of the most important things and where love can be found even in the most unexpected places. Lots of political intrigue helps the plot along and I didn't want to stop reading I was so keen to see what happened to Erred.

The story is poignant, touching and erotic and one I would re-read again.

http://www.annettegisby.n3.net

[Stonemagpie]

The Good: The author writes beautifully, I was engrossed in the story as soon as I picked it up. The main character, Erred, is instantly likeable and the world-building is rich and fleshed out. I would recommend everyone to try this book.

The Bad: The emotionless of Erred. While that is understandable considering the situation the character finds himself in, as you get further into the story it becomes a problem. When Erred talks about loving another character I was surprised, because I hadn’t read any evidence of this at all and the story is told from Erred’s POV.

So that’s why I didn’t rate this book any higher. I had no idea if this had a happy ending or not. It didn’t feel happy, or sad, just sort of neutral. Neutral is not a good note to end a book on.


---------
Slash review
Yay. There is a lot of sex in this book and none of it is too explicit. Unfortunately it's all rather cold and emotionless as well.

[Jay]

SlashReaders: Compared to the last one I read and the book that I just started this one is definitely a step ahead of the other two.

In terms of writing it's well written and on a level that the others don't achieve. It reads like a novel and not like a thrown together bit of fan fiction. Though I feel that this book could've been much better especially at the end. The author tends to rush too much through the reunion of the main characters to the point that I didn't really believe Erred's decision to go to the Shumadi... It was just there all the sudden.

I believe that he felt something for the Prince more than the ending. However, the book was pulled off well enough that I would considering look at other works by this author as I would not with the last one and probably the one I'm reading now. ;)

[Still Reading]

Wow, I'm shocked that this book hasn't attracted more attention!
This is an Excellent novel: solid world building, great characters and great character development, and great pacing -- nothing is too rushed or too slow. This is something you'll be reading more than once, I promise, and it will wrench both gasps and tears from you each time (trust me, I speak from experience).

L. E. Bryce isn't a typical m/m author -- and I mean this in the best of ways. If you'd always hoped that m/m fantasy fiction could someday be called literature, well, you won't want to pass this up. This book definitely raises up the genre.

[Stephanie]

I don't know why I started reading this book, but once I did, I couldn't stop, the story is rather addictive. Erred is a great character, I really feel connected to him. But I think the ending was too much bittersweet for my taste.

Anyway, I really enjoy this book, I think the author created an amazing world with great characters.

It's weird that a book with so many sex, doesn't have a REALLY explicit sex scene, but I think that's what make this book so special, it wasn't neccesary.

[Penelope]

After reading this I seriously ponder whether I should go back and change the other 5 star ratings I've given. This is so good, and brilliant, and amazing, and I could go on and on... This story deserves nothing else but a top rating, and it's the best story I have read in quite some time, so it's a story I very much recommend others to read!

[Bookbee]

DNF after reading at least 3/4 of the book. Couldn't bring myself to continue when I realized that the MC existence would continue in its bleakness, with no HEA or even a HFN. I need happiness, dammit!

[Cynthia Shaver]

This was really hard for me to finish even though the story kind of sucked me in. I'm not sure if it was because I read some of the reviews after starting to read the book and learned it wasn't going to end with a HEA. Maybe that colored my expectations, but I really wanted a HEA.

[Noughty]

The style wasn't for me. Story, plot interesting.
Ending a little unfinished and too quick

[Absynthe]

That ended kinda abruptly. And not exactly with a HEA. A little unsatisfying but interesting.