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Sacrati
As an elite Sacrati fighter in the mighty Torian military, Theos is blessed with a city full of women who want to bear his children, and a barracks full of men proud to fight at his side and share his bed. He has everything he needs — until he captures Finnvid on a raid.
Finnvid is on a secret mission to prevent the Torian invasion of his homeland Elkat. Being enslaved by Torian soldiers wasn’t in his plans. Neither is his horrified fascination with the casual promiscuity of the Sacrati warriors. Men should not lie with other men — and he should not be so intrigued when they do. He definitely should not be most intrigued by the leader of the soldiers who captured him and plan to invade his home.
For Theos, everything would have been easier if the infuriating, lying, bewildering Elkati had never come into his life, but he can’t stay away. When betrayal and treachery threaten both their nations, they must work together to stop a war that could destroy their homes forever — even as they begin to question everything they’re fighting for.
Word 114,000; page 407
Finnvid is on a secret mission to prevent the Torian invasion of his homeland Elkat. Being enslaved by Torian soldiers wasn’t in his plans. Neither is his horrified fascination with the casual promiscuity of the Sacrati warriors. Men should not lie with other men — and he should not be so intrigued when they do. He definitely should not be most intrigued by the leader of the soldiers who captured him and plan to invade his home.
For Theos, everything would have been easier if the infuriating, lying, bewildering Elkati had never come into his life, but he can’t stay away. When betrayal and treachery threaten both their nations, they must work together to stop a war that could destroy their homes forever — even as they begin to question everything they’re fighting for.
Word 114,000; page 407
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2015
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December 14, 2015ETA: For those interested, a postscript story is available at http://katesherwoodbooks.com/2015/12/...
This one was really fun to write! The characters were interesting, but it was the different social structures that I really liked exploring.
I started with a sort of modified Greek version of gay lovers as ultimate soldiers, and then modified it a little further. SACred Band - SACrati. Get it?
I wanted to explore the idea of homosexuality as a behaviour rather than an identity, but I also wanted to look at how that concept might affect female relationships as well.
So that was where I started. And then as I wrote, as usual, everything became about the individual characters. Theos and Finnvid, both so stubborn, both so flawed... both so much fun to write!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
ETA: I love the cover, y'all! It's DIFFERENT! Different is good!
This one was really fun to write! The characters were interesting, but it was the different social structures that I really liked exploring.
I started with a sort of modified Greek version of gay lovers as ultimate soldiers, and then modified it a little further. SACred Band - SACrati. Get it?
I wanted to explore the idea of homosexuality as a behaviour rather than an identity, but I also wanted to look at how that concept might affect female relationships as well.
So that was where I started. And then as I wrote, as usual, everything became about the individual characters. Theos and Finnvid, both so stubborn, both so flawed... both so much fun to write!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
ETA: I love the cover, y'all! It's DIFFERENT! Different is good!
May 5, 2015
This book was fantastic, please don't let this horrible cover keep you from reading it! Let me start by saying I'm not usually a fan of fantasy/historical books (read as I NEVER read them), and we don't know for sure when this takes place, but it's easy to see everything happened a long time ago. Sherwood did such a great job a creating this world, it sucked me in from the first page and I couldn't put this book down.
Yes the book is very long, 400+ pages, but every word, every sentence, every page is priceless. I didn't want it to end, there was no boring moment for me, I wanted more of Theos and Finn together, much more! This book isn't exactly steamy, there are a few sex scenes but not too many and not overly descriptive, yet I didn't feel like this book needed more; sure I would've liked a detailed telling of Theos's and Finn's first time together, but I wasn't exactly disappointed not to get it. Because this book has one thing that's more important than the sex...it has FEEL! There are so many feelings, emotions, intimacy in every page of this book and trust me when I tell you you're going to FEEL every single one of them. It's a very emotionally satisfying book.
This book is written in 3 parts: 1st part is told from Theos's POV in third person and we get to know Theos and the Torian ways. Torians have an unusual way of life, something we're not accustomed to, but it's easy to see why they pride themselves with it. Going into this book, there's no room for judgement, you just have to learn and accept, even if you can't imagine living the same way. Torians don't form relationships, at least not usual ones, they never marry and don't have regular families like we're used to. Women play an important role in their society and they're respected, protected and cherished by all Torians. Women take care of the economy, and pretty much everything else aside from military, that's where the men's expertise comes in. Actually, men are trained for military purposes only, there are no scholars or scientists or healers within men.
They don't have rich and poor people, their goods are equally distributed within their society so that everyone is happy and satisfied. Of course, the money people make from labor or from fighting in the army belongs to them only, but each person is only as rich as how hard they work for it. Women decide who they have kids with, they choose the person with the attributes they're looking for in the offspring, and they decide how many children they have. Men don't have an active role in raising their children, but male children leave the city where women live separate from the men at age 9, to go to the barracks and learn to become warriors.
Torians are very sexual beings, though the sex between men and women only happens for reproduction purposes. Same sex couplings are normal and not frowned upon; it's a way of life for them, there's no question of whether same sex relations are moral, natural or appropriate, it just IS! Torians are not shy, they don't feel like they have to be private to have sex and they don't hesitate to engage in mutually satisfying fucks whenever or wherever the need strikes them. Does this sound different from anything else you've ever read? Maybe, but it's a breath of fresh air, I'll tell you that much. Like I mentioned before, there's no exclusivity between Torian men, so cheating is not an issue, because sex for them DOES NOT equal love. There are a few couples who love each other, like Xeno and Andros, but that doesn't make them exclusive. I know it's harder to accept that if you're like me and need your men to be in exclusive relationships (at least most of the time) but if you look at it as a way of life and not a personal choice, it's easier to accept.
Part 2 of the book is written from Finnvid's POV and here we get to know Finnvid, his struggles, his emotional pain of trying to hide his real self, but also the Elkati way of life, which is very different from the Torians. Elkati have traditional marriages between men and women that are arranged ahead of time by the families. We've heard of this way of living before so there's no surprise, but it's a way of life I don't agree with. Homosexual or lesbian relations are frowned upon and not accepted, they have slaves who are treated as less than human and here we have the Rich people, the King, the queen, the prince, and the poor people who barely have enough food to eat. There's no equality anywhere in sight and their military is poorly trained. Women are not important aside from bearing children, and definitely not cherished. The way I interpreted their way of life was in the form of a monarchy more or less. Men have more opportunities to learn and become whatever they want, they have more freedom than Torian men who have no choice but to train for war. Finnvid is smart, educated, he loves to read, totally opposite of Theos.
Part 3 is a mix of Theos's and Finn's pov, but it's not confusing at all, it's a great representation of a blending of two different worlds.
Theos and Finnvid start off as enemies, but after a while they progress to a reluctant, iffy friendship. They start to learn more about each other and while Theos is very attracted to Finnvid, they don't engage in any sexual relations at first. Finnvid isn't used to this level of openness when it comes to sex, and always points out men having sex with men is disgusting, but we know he doesn't believe it, not really, when being with a man is what he secretly wants and keeps hidden from everyone. I loved how their relationship changed, we are aware of the feelings growing between them that are not referred to as love and adoration, but we know that's what they are. I especially liked witnessing Theos's realization that Finnvid is more important than anyone to him and would do anything to keep him safe and happy, and that funny feeling in his chest he got when being around Finn; Theos didn't know what love was, but he sure found ways to explain his feelings.
“Andros is my friend. My good friend. But the way I feel about you is . . . It’s different. It’s . . .” He tried, but he didn’t have the words. “It’s more, I think. I want to fight beside Andros, but I want to fight in front of you, to keep you safe.”
What would it be like if Finnvid was making those breathy sounds for someone else, if his beautiful cock was wrapped in someone else’s fist?
“Or if I was with another man, maybe I’d do the fucking,” Finnvid said thoughtfully. “I don’t really want to fuck you, but someone else? Maybe I’d like that.”
“You might,” Theos mused. How would he feel about that? Better than having someone else touching Finnvid’s ass, at least. But both options made his stomach tighten in an unpleasant way.
The heat, the slick, tight slide—it was all perfect. All familiar. What Theos still hadn’t gotten used to, what he wasn’t sure he ever would be used to, was Finnvid. Theos forced his eyes to stay open so he could appreciate the view. The beautiful pale body, smooth and unscarred; the fine-boned face, tense with concentration and growing pleasure; and then, when Finnvid opened his eyes and his gaze found Theos’s? The warmth, the challenge, and most importantly, the love.
“You’re the only one I want. No one else should touch you, or even look at you. You’re mine. Always mine.”
“I’ll buy us bracelets. Matching ones. Or rings if that’s important. Whatever you want.”
There's a HEA, a beautiful one, that put a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. This book was beautifully written, the plot was engaging at all times, there's betrayals, and lies, treachery and gore, but there's also love and loyalty and hope for a better future. There was humor as well, I found myself chucking or laughing a lot of times, especially at the banter and teasing taking place between Theos and Finnvid. The grammar was flawless and if it wan't I sure haven't noticed, and quality of the writing was stellar. This book will stay with me for a long time, it's one of the best I've read this year. I hope we get a sequel or something to see how things progress in Torian territories.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Yes the book is very long, 400+ pages, but every word, every sentence, every page is priceless. I didn't want it to end, there was no boring moment for me, I wanted more of Theos and Finn together, much more! This book isn't exactly steamy, there are a few sex scenes but not too many and not overly descriptive, yet I didn't feel like this book needed more; sure I would've liked a detailed telling of Theos's and Finn's first time together, but I wasn't exactly disappointed not to get it. Because this book has one thing that's more important than the sex...it has FEEL! There are so many feelings, emotions, intimacy in every page of this book and trust me when I tell you you're going to FEEL every single one of them. It's a very emotionally satisfying book.
This book is written in 3 parts: 1st part is told from Theos's POV in third person and we get to know Theos and the Torian ways. Torians have an unusual way of life, something we're not accustomed to, but it's easy to see why they pride themselves with it. Going into this book, there's no room for judgement, you just have to learn and accept, even if you can't imagine living the same way. Torians don't form relationships, at least not usual ones, they never marry and don't have regular families like we're used to. Women play an important role in their society and they're respected, protected and cherished by all Torians. Women take care of the economy, and pretty much everything else aside from military, that's where the men's expertise comes in. Actually, men are trained for military purposes only, there are no scholars or scientists or healers within men.
They don't have rich and poor people, their goods are equally distributed within their society so that everyone is happy and satisfied. Of course, the money people make from labor or from fighting in the army belongs to them only, but each person is only as rich as how hard they work for it. Women decide who they have kids with, they choose the person with the attributes they're looking for in the offspring, and they decide how many children they have. Men don't have an active role in raising their children, but male children leave the city where women live separate from the men at age 9, to go to the barracks and learn to become warriors.
Torians are very sexual beings, though the sex between men and women only happens for reproduction purposes. Same sex couplings are normal and not frowned upon; it's a way of life for them, there's no question of whether same sex relations are moral, natural or appropriate, it just IS! Torians are not shy, they don't feel like they have to be private to have sex and they don't hesitate to engage in mutually satisfying fucks whenever or wherever the need strikes them. Does this sound different from anything else you've ever read? Maybe, but it's a breath of fresh air, I'll tell you that much. Like I mentioned before, there's no exclusivity between Torian men, so cheating is not an issue, because sex for them DOES NOT equal love. There are a few couples who love each other, like Xeno and Andros, but that doesn't make them exclusive. I know it's harder to accept that if you're like me and need your men to be in exclusive relationships (at least most of the time) but if you look at it as a way of life and not a personal choice, it's easier to accept.
Part 2 of the book is written from Finnvid's POV and here we get to know Finnvid, his struggles, his emotional pain of trying to hide his real self, but also the Elkati way of life, which is very different from the Torians. Elkati have traditional marriages between men and women that are arranged ahead of time by the families. We've heard of this way of living before so there's no surprise, but it's a way of life I don't agree with. Homosexual or lesbian relations are frowned upon and not accepted, they have slaves who are treated as less than human and here we have the Rich people, the King, the queen, the prince, and the poor people who barely have enough food to eat. There's no equality anywhere in sight and their military is poorly trained. Women are not important aside from bearing children, and definitely not cherished. The way I interpreted their way of life was in the form of a monarchy more or less. Men have more opportunities to learn and become whatever they want, they have more freedom than Torian men who have no choice but to train for war. Finnvid is smart, educated, he loves to read, totally opposite of Theos.
Part 3 is a mix of Theos's and Finn's pov, but it's not confusing at all, it's a great representation of a blending of two different worlds.
Theos and Finnvid start off as enemies, but after a while they progress to a reluctant, iffy friendship. They start to learn more about each other and while Theos is very attracted to Finnvid, they don't engage in any sexual relations at first. Finnvid isn't used to this level of openness when it comes to sex, and always points out men having sex with men is disgusting, but we know he doesn't believe it, not really, when being with a man is what he secretly wants and keeps hidden from everyone. I loved how their relationship changed, we are aware of the feelings growing between them that are not referred to as love and adoration, but we know that's what they are. I especially liked witnessing Theos's realization that Finnvid is more important than anyone to him and would do anything to keep him safe and happy, and that funny feeling in his chest he got when being around Finn; Theos didn't know what love was, but he sure found ways to explain his feelings.
“Andros is my friend. My good friend. But the way I feel about you is . . . It’s different. It’s . . .” He tried, but he didn’t have the words. “It’s more, I think. I want to fight beside Andros, but I want to fight in front of you, to keep you safe.”
What would it be like if Finnvid was making those breathy sounds for someone else, if his beautiful cock was wrapped in someone else’s fist?
“Or if I was with another man, maybe I’d do the fucking,” Finnvid said thoughtfully. “I don’t really want to fuck you, but someone else? Maybe I’d like that.”
“You might,” Theos mused. How would he feel about that? Better than having someone else touching Finnvid’s ass, at least. But both options made his stomach tighten in an unpleasant way.
The heat, the slick, tight slide—it was all perfect. All familiar. What Theos still hadn’t gotten used to, what he wasn’t sure he ever would be used to, was Finnvid. Theos forced his eyes to stay open so he could appreciate the view. The beautiful pale body, smooth and unscarred; the fine-boned face, tense with concentration and growing pleasure; and then, when Finnvid opened his eyes and his gaze found Theos’s? The warmth, the challenge, and most importantly, the love.
“You’re the only one I want. No one else should touch you, or even look at you. You’re mine. Always mine.”
“I’ll buy us bracelets. Matching ones. Or rings if that’s important. Whatever you want.”
There's a HEA, a beautiful one, that put a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. This book was beautifully written, the plot was engaging at all times, there's betrayals, and lies, treachery and gore, but there's also love and loyalty and hope for a better future. There was humor as well, I found myself chucking or laughing a lot of times, especially at the banter and teasing taking place between Theos and Finnvid. The grammar was flawless and if it wan't I sure haven't noticed, and quality of the writing was stellar. This book will stay with me for a long time, it's one of the best I've read this year. I hope we get a sequel or something to see how things progress in Torian territories.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
April 30, 2015
Not quite sure how to rate this one. Why? Well, I didn't enjoy this as much as most people would. Fantasy is not a genre I often read, but I wanted to read something different. The blurb sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try.
Although, this was 5 star writing, I did find myself struggling to get through the beginning- and the beginning felt preeeetty long- as this is a preeeetty long book. I don't blame the author though- I honestly believe it's because fantasy is not my schtick. Also, I'm not going to lie- I would have enjoyed some more sexy times.
Overall though, this was a great story. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy action and suspense. 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 because the writing itself was great.
**ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgally for an honest review**
May 31, 2015
A good set up, but the execution failed.
Spoilers below.
Because of a lot of similarities, I couldn't help but repeatedly compare 'Sacrati' to two of my favourite MM high fantasy series, C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince series and Aleksandr Voinov's Memory of Scorpions series.
The political intrigue in Sacrati shares a lot with both the Captive Prince and Scorpions series. I think it could have been very entertaining, but it wasn't. The plot became increasingly more convoluted, but the resolution was very simplistic and too easy. It made me question why the book needed to be 400 pages, if the solution could have been found so quickly.
I'm also not sold on Theos and Finnvid's romance. Theos belongs to the Sacrati, a band of warriors that fight together and sleep together, and belongs to a country which gives women equal power and is open about sexuality. Finnvid is the sheltered younger son of Elkat's royal family, a country which practices traditional gender norms and homophobia. The two have little in common, and their relationship to each other is little more than physical. I can get why they'd want to get it on, but I didn't think they had more than that.
I also found Theos' abrupt change of heart about sleeping with other men very unconvincing. Why would someone who wasn't raised in a culture of monogamy, and who continues to reject the idea even after beginning a relationship with someone else, suddenly want to be monogamous? I don't think I'd have objected to Finnvid and Theos continuing their relationship according to Torian customs. It would have been unique, and the complete opposite of Elkat's prudish culture.
Overall, 'Sacrati' was an okay read. If I hadn't read two other series that followed similar plotlines, and which were very good, I might have enjoyed this book more. Both the relationship and the plot needed work.
Review copy provided through NetGalley.
Spoilers below.
Because of a lot of similarities, I couldn't help but repeatedly compare 'Sacrati' to two of my favourite MM high fantasy series, C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince series and Aleksandr Voinov's Memory of Scorpions series.
The political intrigue in Sacrati shares a lot with both the Captive Prince and Scorpions series. I think it could have been very entertaining, but it wasn't. The plot became increasingly more convoluted, but the resolution was very simplistic and too easy. It made me question why the book needed to be 400 pages, if the solution could have been found so quickly.
I'm also not sold on Theos and Finnvid's romance. Theos belongs to the Sacrati, a band of warriors that fight together and sleep together, and belongs to a country which gives women equal power and is open about sexuality. Finnvid is the sheltered younger son of Elkat's royal family, a country which practices traditional gender norms and homophobia. The two have little in common, and their relationship to each other is little more than physical. I can get why they'd want to get it on, but I didn't think they had more than that.
I also found Theos' abrupt change of heart about sleeping with other men very unconvincing. Why would someone who wasn't raised in a culture of monogamy, and who continues to reject the idea even after beginning a relationship with someone else, suddenly want to be monogamous? I don't think I'd have objected to Finnvid and Theos continuing their relationship according to Torian customs. It would have been unique, and the complete opposite of Elkat's prudish culture.
Overall, 'Sacrati' was an okay read. If I hadn't read two other series that followed similar plotlines, and which were very good, I might have enjoyed this book more. Both the relationship and the plot needed work.
Review copy provided through NetGalley.
September 15, 2020
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT. This is a non-magical fantasy that brought to mind The Captive Prince in some ways, but is also quite unique in it's world-structure and fictional society. It tells the story of Theos, a leader in an elite band of warriors who ends up in the middle of a conspiracy along with his foreign captive Finnvidd. There is so much delicious slow-burn UST (almost too much) and such sweet, funny moments that I was completely won over. It's about a culture clash as much it is a romance and I really, really enjoyed the depiction of Torian society and it's interesting gender politics. Definitely a must-read for fans of the genre.
August 10, 2015
Growing up in a well-run if near-subsistence society, where the men guard the borders, and the women run the town, made Theos's path in life obvious. He would become a warrior, a Sacrati, the best of the best. He would have companions and casual lovers among his fellow-soldiers, and occasional times when he went to the women in town, to potentially father children. Life would go on in a well-proven path. Eventually he might die in battle, but he'd have lived well and simply until then.
But Theos's life is overset when his troop captures a group of soldiers from neighboring Elkat, inside Torian territory. Finnvid is one of the Elkats, and his healing skills mark him out from the beginning. So does his youth, attractiveness, fearless attitude, and puzzling role in the group. When they get back to town, and more than one high-level Torian shows an odd interest in Finnvid, Theos claims him as a prize, to keep him safe and try to unravel the puzzle. But for a man who didn't even really know that politics of power and greed were a thing, Theos is well behind the learning curve, and his simple honesty isn't helpful.
Finnvid finds captivity and Torian society, and especially the large barbarian who now owns him and yet treats him well, a complete puzzle. He had a mission, which is well and truly screwed up. And the more he sees of how Torian society actually works, the more he doubts it was a good plan to begin with. And then there is the fact that his attraction to men, a barely-acknowledged shameful impossibility at home, is a casual non-event among the Torians, who have more same-sex relationships than opposite-sex ones. Finnvid's sympathies and allegiances are badly torn. He has to decide over and over who he will be, and who is worthy of his support.
This was an imaginative and sweet story, despite the violence of battle, capture and betrayal in it. I really enjoyed the re-imagining of a social structure with equality based on differences and separation of the genders. The main characters were worth cheering for. This is technically a slave story, but there is no real darkness and no non-con here. Just some interesting world-building and coming of age of two very different men.
But Theos's life is overset when his troop captures a group of soldiers from neighboring Elkat, inside Torian territory. Finnvid is one of the Elkats, and his healing skills mark him out from the beginning. So does his youth, attractiveness, fearless attitude, and puzzling role in the group. When they get back to town, and more than one high-level Torian shows an odd interest in Finnvid, Theos claims him as a prize, to keep him safe and try to unravel the puzzle. But for a man who didn't even really know that politics of power and greed were a thing, Theos is well behind the learning curve, and his simple honesty isn't helpful.
Finnvid finds captivity and Torian society, and especially the large barbarian who now owns him and yet treats him well, a complete puzzle. He had a mission, which is well and truly screwed up. And the more he sees of how Torian society actually works, the more he doubts it was a good plan to begin with. And then there is the fact that his attraction to men, a barely-acknowledged shameful impossibility at home, is a casual non-event among the Torians, who have more same-sex relationships than opposite-sex ones. Finnvid's sympathies and allegiances are badly torn. He has to decide over and over who he will be, and who is worthy of his support.
This was an imaginative and sweet story, despite the violence of battle, capture and betrayal in it. I really enjoyed the re-imagining of a social structure with equality based on differences and separation of the genders. The main characters were worth cheering for. This is technically a slave story, but there is no real darkness and no non-con here. Just some interesting world-building and coming of age of two very different men.
February 10, 2017
Overall book rating: 3.8
Audio book: Dorian Bane - 4
Book Cover: 1
I don’t actually read “historical”. Mostly because I’ve read so many of them at a point in time that I got...I don’t really know (all MF of course). But first and foremost, because I don’t want to read stories with no hope of a positive outcome for my MC’s. For some reasons I just didn’t think it would work in MM without a whole lot of drama I can do without. I’m surprisingly enjoying the hell out of myself with this one though.
I really enjoyed this world that Kate Sherwood spun for us. It’s got lots of good stuff really. I loved Theos, and his band of brothers the Sacrati. I absolutely got drawn into the pride of being Sacrati and the dedication they have in what and who they are. At times Theos wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the pocket but at times again he was.
Getting to really like the MC’s in this book didn’t automatically come easy for me, I couldn’t immediately get a read on Finnvid and the same can be said in a measure for Theos although he was “simpler” than Finnvid in that way.
There were lots of things I disliked about both their worlds, and then as counter balance some things I really did like. The open arrangement between the soldiers on Sacrati side was interesting and his relationship with Androse was special and sweet.
Finnvid – well I totally disliked the hell out of his side of the Valley. His brother has some redeeming qualities and I would have liked seeing the Valleys sort out all their nonsence. Can’t tell you how upset I was at Finvid’s return....Fire Breathing Dragon. That is all I’ll say about it.
Yes, it could have had more detail on both the emotional side of the characters, and of course I would have enjoyed a “little” more deets in the sex scenes. I’m perverted like that. Sue me why don’t you...
But all and all a good one. I think the narrator was perfect for the story. Really, job well done.
Audio book: Dorian Bane - 4
Book Cover: 1
I don’t actually read “historical”. Mostly because I’ve read so many of them at a point in time that I got...I don’t really know (all MF of course). But first and foremost, because I don’t want to read stories with no hope of a positive outcome for my MC’s. For some reasons I just didn’t think it would work in MM without a whole lot of drama I can do without. I’m surprisingly enjoying the hell out of myself with this one though.
I really enjoyed this world that Kate Sherwood spun for us. It’s got lots of good stuff really. I loved Theos, and his band of brothers the Sacrati. I absolutely got drawn into the pride of being Sacrati and the dedication they have in what and who they are. At times Theos wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the pocket but at times again he was.
Getting to really like the MC’s in this book didn’t automatically come easy for me, I couldn’t immediately get a read on Finnvid and the same can be said in a measure for Theos although he was “simpler” than Finnvid in that way.
There were lots of things I disliked about both their worlds, and then as counter balance some things I really did like. The open arrangement between the soldiers on Sacrati side was interesting and his relationship with Androse was special and sweet.
Finnvid – well I totally disliked the hell out of his side of the Valley. His brother has some redeeming qualities and I would have liked seeing the Valleys sort out all their nonsence. Can’t tell you how upset I was at Finvid’s return....Fire Breathing Dragon. That is all I’ll say about it.
Yes, it could have had more detail on both the emotional side of the characters, and of course I would have enjoyed a “little” more deets in the sex scenes. I’m perverted like that. Sue me why don’t you...
But all and all a good one. I think the narrator was perfect for the story. Really, job well done.
April 29, 2015
~ Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review ~
First of all, I have to agree with others about the cover which is not exactly inviting, even though I see its connection to the story now that I've finished the book and I'm definitely glad it's different from those usual "six pack" covers (which started to get on my nerves recently.) But, the cover aside, there are two main reasons why I requested this book:
- I've recently read Mark Of Cain by K. Sherwood and loved the story and her writing style, so there was no question whether I'll read this one.
- The synopsis reminded me a little on Captive Prince by S. U. Pacat and Scorpion By Aleksandr Voinov which are one of my favorite mm books from this genre, so I kept my fingers crossed for this book to be another winner.
Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly impressed with the story after reading the first 100 pages. Why is that? Well, the main reason is the building of the fantasy world which was poor in my opinion. I wasn't feeling the story and to be honest- up until that point this was a 2 stars read for me, but then *something* major happens and since that twist the story turned from disappointing to unputdownable.
The book is written from two points of views- Theos' and Finnvid's who are its main characters. At first glance these two characters couldn't be more different from each other. They were raised in totally opposite worlds- Theosbeing the fierce, rough and fearless Sacrati warrior of the Torian society and Finnvid being the pampered prince of the Elkati society who can count the number of times he held a sword in his hands. After the initial indifference for their story they started to slowly win my affection. Their enemies-to-lovers type of relationship was lighter on drama and rich on sweet and emotional moments which I really liked.
The portrayal of the characters and their interactions were the strong points of this book for me, the fantasy not so much. I wanted to find out more about the politics and culture of both societies, especially about the Elkati, because the author seemed more focused on Torians. I found the information we got about the structure of their society to some degree interesting and to some degree silly. To get some better picture about the plot, here's what the author said:
"I wanted to explore the idea of homosexuality as a behaviour rather than an identity, but I also wanted to look at how that concept might affect female relationships as well.
So that was where I started. And then as I wrote, as usual, everything became about the individual characters. Theos and Finnvid, both so stubborn, both so flawed... both so much fun to write."
The story was action-packed and suspenseful with some steam in-between. I would have preferred if the author had paid the same amount of attention to the building of the fantasy world as she did when it comes to the characters and the romance. I found the building of the fantasy world not interesting enough and lacking, especially when I compare it to my favorite mm fantasy books listed above. That's why 3 stars.
This review is posted on Way Too hot books.
First of all, I have to agree with others about the cover which is not exactly inviting, even though I see its connection to the story now that I've finished the book and I'm definitely glad it's different from those usual "six pack" covers (which started to get on my nerves recently.) But, the cover aside, there are two main reasons why I requested this book:
- I've recently read Mark Of Cain by K. Sherwood and loved the story and her writing style, so there was no question whether I'll read this one.
- The synopsis reminded me a little on Captive Prince by S. U. Pacat and Scorpion By Aleksandr Voinov which are one of my favorite mm books from this genre, so I kept my fingers crossed for this book to be another winner.
Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly impressed with the story after reading the first 100 pages. Why is that? Well, the main reason is the building of the fantasy world which was poor in my opinion. I wasn't feeling the story and to be honest- up until that point this was a 2 stars read for me, but then *something* major happens and since that twist the story turned from disappointing to unputdownable.
The book is written from two points of views- Theos' and Finnvid's who are its main characters. At first glance these two characters couldn't be more different from each other. They were raised in totally opposite worlds- Theosbeing the fierce, rough and fearless Sacrati warrior of the Torian society and Finnvid being the pampered prince of the Elkati society who can count the number of times he held a sword in his hands. After the initial indifference for their story they started to slowly win my affection. Their enemies-to-lovers type of relationship was lighter on drama and rich on sweet and emotional moments which I really liked.
The portrayal of the characters and their interactions were the strong points of this book for me, the fantasy not so much. I wanted to find out more about the politics and culture of both societies, especially about the Elkati, because the author seemed more focused on Torians. I found the information we got about the structure of their society to some degree interesting and to some degree silly. To get some better picture about the plot, here's what the author said:
"I wanted to explore the idea of homosexuality as a behaviour rather than an identity, but I also wanted to look at how that concept might affect female relationships as well.
So that was where I started. And then as I wrote, as usual, everything became about the individual characters. Theos and Finnvid, both so stubborn, both so flawed... both so much fun to write."
The story was action-packed and suspenseful with some steam in-between. I would have preferred if the author had paid the same amount of attention to the building of the fantasy world as she did when it comes to the characters and the romance. I found the building of the fantasy world not interesting enough and lacking, especially when I compare it to my favorite mm fantasy books listed above. That's why 3 stars.
This review is posted on Way Too hot books.
November 8, 2015
CS Pacat has set the bar impossibly high for any author writing a fantasy, enemies to lovers tale set in a homonormative setting where sex pets and bedwarmers are commonplace. If you like plotty stories full of political intrigue, ancient fictional settings, and men having sex with men, this will be a good read for you. If this isn't your jam but you happened to love Captive Prince, this may or may not work for you.
I read and enjoyed Kate Sherwood's contemporary Dark Horse series. This is completely different in tone, setting and character. Still, her tale weaving writing chops are well exercised. Sacrati is full of detail and gives the reader lots to think about while weaving a good tale of deception, political intrigue and finding your loyalties.
I have mixed feelings about the sex segregated Torian society. This segregation fosters a homonormative setting, where sex between men and women was mostly for reproductive purposes and took place only a few times a year. Most of the time, the men lived apart from the women and their role was exclusively warrior and conqueror, to take over other lands. The women supposedly did everything else. I always enjoy it when an author creates a world where 'traditional' patterns of family and sex get upended.
The Torian society gets compared & contrasted with the homophobic monogamous Elkati society when Finnvid (Elkati) becomes the captive of Theos (Torian). Finnvid witnesses sex between men and is both repulsed (his culturally conditioned response) and intrigued (his innate response). Through their budding relationship and getting to know one another, Finnvid and Theos are able to objectively see the pros and cons of both cultures.
While the Torian society was not being held up as any utopian ideal, it was portrayed as more open minded and egalitarian. That bugged me because it felt more like a new twist on the old patriarchy. Woman having all the power and doing everything except military roles sounds to me like women who work both in and out of the home and care for children while the guy sits around playing video games. There was also much made of Theos having fathered 46 children. Maybe it's all the mormon books I've read, but the Torian seem to be like FLDS with gay sex.
If it seems like I am obsessing about the setting and not the romance, it's probably because the romance fell flat. The UST was not UST-ty enough while Theos and Finnvid were enemies. Once lovers, the romance felt a bit cheesy. I will say, there was one excellent scene between the two when they were between enemies and lovers that had it dialed in just right. Also, the snow forts were cool.
I read and enjoyed Kate Sherwood's contemporary Dark Horse series. This is completely different in tone, setting and character. Still, her tale weaving writing chops are well exercised. Sacrati is full of detail and gives the reader lots to think about while weaving a good tale of deception, political intrigue and finding your loyalties.
I have mixed feelings about the sex segregated Torian society. This segregation fosters a homonormative setting, where sex between men and women was mostly for reproductive purposes and took place only a few times a year. Most of the time, the men lived apart from the women and their role was exclusively warrior and conqueror, to take over other lands. The women supposedly did everything else. I always enjoy it when an author creates a world where 'traditional' patterns of family and sex get upended.
The Torian society gets compared & contrasted with the homophobic monogamous Elkati society when Finnvid (Elkati) becomes the captive of Theos (Torian). Finnvid witnesses sex between men and is both repulsed (his culturally conditioned response) and intrigued (his innate response). Through their budding relationship and getting to know one another, Finnvid and Theos are able to objectively see the pros and cons of both cultures.
While the Torian society was not being held up as any utopian ideal, it was portrayed as more open minded and egalitarian. That bugged me because it felt more like a new twist on the old patriarchy. Woman having all the power and doing everything except military roles sounds to me like women who work both in and out of the home and care for children while the guy sits around playing video games. There was also much made of Theos having fathered 46 children. Maybe it's all the mormon books I've read, but the Torian seem to be like FLDS with gay sex.
If it seems like I am obsessing about the setting and not the romance, it's probably because the romance fell flat. The UST was not UST-ty enough while Theos and Finnvid were enemies. Once lovers, the romance felt a bit cheesy. I will say, there was one excellent scene between the two when they were between enemies and lovers that had it dialed in just right. Also, the snow forts were cool.
April 29, 2015
I so so so enjoyed this book.
The fantasy genre is totally floating my boat lately. But wait... Is this fantasy? I dont know. Princes and kings and mindfucks. Whatever it is Im loving it, its keeping my interest and making me feel great!
The book def started out slow. I stopped reading it and read another, and then I thought... Give it a chance Mare. Go back.
So happy I did.
Ms Sherwood gave us some seriously good UST. Good sarcasm, a good mindfuck.
If you loved Captive Prince I strongly believe you'll enjoy this book if you can get past the slow start. Its well worth it IMHO.
I think I still have some questions about the end of the book.... is there a chance of a book 2?
Mare~Slitsread
The fantasy genre is totally floating my boat lately. But wait... Is this fantasy? I dont know. Princes and kings and mindfucks. Whatever it is Im loving it, its keeping my interest and making me feel great!
The book def started out slow. I stopped reading it and read another, and then I thought... Give it a chance Mare. Go back.
So happy I did.
Ms Sherwood gave us some seriously good UST. Good sarcasm, a good mindfuck.
If you loved Captive Prince I strongly believe you'll enjoy this book if you can get past the slow start. Its well worth it IMHO.
I think I still have some questions about the end of the book.... is there a chance of a book 2?
Mare~Slitsread
June 16, 2016
Edited to include audio review
Book Review:
This story is amazing. Nothing is sugar coated and glossed over. Nothing is alluded to, and everything felt so authentic that I could nearly hear, smell, and taste every little experience that happened during this medieval style time period. It was harsh, raw, and amazing. Both the people, the villages, the marches through the woods, the visit to the cities for some fun debaucherous activities, and the free for all sexfest with the other soldiers. It wasn’t perverted or kinky, it was just the way things were…it was natural for the times.
Well, natural for the Torians, maybe, and especially the elite soldiers, the Sacrati, but definitely not natural for the Elkati. Theos is a leader among men and women. He is Torian, but more so, he is Sacrati. He is naturally charismatic and braver than most. He is a fighter and a fucker. He lives for those two things, not because he is cold-hearted, but because that is what the Torian males are raised to do. Theos is the best of the best and he will knock you on your ass just as quickly as he will fuck you in it.
Finnvid is not Torian, he is not a soldier, and he is definitely not a slave to be treated so harshly. But when he is captured by the Sacrati, his world is turned upside down. Men fucking men is so not what his civilized world is about and he struggles more with those unnatural acts than the fact that he is being forced to do their laundry. But no matter how much Finnvid tries to look away, there is one man who he so drawn to that he is willing to bend a few rules.
Theos and Finnvid’s story is not your typical romance. It takes nearly the entire book before I was even convinced that they could find a way to make it work. These two both have their individual belief systems, cultural differences, and their families to deal with before they can even consider a possibility of happily ever after. And at the same time, there is deception within the military ranks and civil war is on the horizon. Theos and Finnvid have to survive first.
Kate Sherwood stepped outside the norm with this story and did an incredible job with characterization and world building. I was enthralled and captivated by the detail and descriptions; I could easily visualize their world, both inside the villages and on the marches, and especially inside the snow dens. This is a complete story from start to finish and I loved it.
Audio Review:
I can’t believe I ended up loving this audio. I was really thrown off initially by the very caveman / Tarzan-like voice portrayed by Dorian Bane, and I seriously did not think I was going to like it. However, I gave it a chance, and once I became acclimated to the characters, it fit. I’ve learned my lesson; don’t give up too soon just because the voice is not what I expected to hear.
This story remains a five star, and the audio is easily a four star. The reason four the one star drop is simply that it took too long for me to differentiate the voice of Theos and the other Sacrati, compared to Finnvid. Andros and Theos were so similar that I really needed to listen hard, but eventually it sunk in. But still, Dorian Bane does a stellar job bringing this incredible book to life, and I know it could not have been easy. So, kudos to the narrator for taking on the task and offering the listener a performance to remember.
I either love or hate audio books. I really do not seem to have a grey area, so if I recommend one, then trust when I say you will enjoy the performance. Even though this one went a little different than I expected, it was still a wonderful audio and one that I think you will love too.
The Blogger Girls
Book Review:
This story is amazing. Nothing is sugar coated and glossed over. Nothing is alluded to, and everything felt so authentic that I could nearly hear, smell, and taste every little experience that happened during this medieval style time period. It was harsh, raw, and amazing. Both the people, the villages, the marches through the woods, the visit to the cities for some fun debaucherous activities, and the free for all sexfest with the other soldiers. It wasn’t perverted or kinky, it was just the way things were…it was natural for the times.
Well, natural for the Torians, maybe, and especially the elite soldiers, the Sacrati, but definitely not natural for the Elkati. Theos is a leader among men and women. He is Torian, but more so, he is Sacrati. He is naturally charismatic and braver than most. He is a fighter and a fucker. He lives for those two things, not because he is cold-hearted, but because that is what the Torian males are raised to do. Theos is the best of the best and he will knock you on your ass just as quickly as he will fuck you in it.
Finnvid is not Torian, he is not a soldier, and he is definitely not a slave to be treated so harshly. But when he is captured by the Sacrati, his world is turned upside down. Men fucking men is so not what his civilized world is about and he struggles more with those unnatural acts than the fact that he is being forced to do their laundry. But no matter how much Finnvid tries to look away, there is one man who he so drawn to that he is willing to bend a few rules.
Theos and Finnvid’s story is not your typical romance. It takes nearly the entire book before I was even convinced that they could find a way to make it work. These two both have their individual belief systems, cultural differences, and their families to deal with before they can even consider a possibility of happily ever after. And at the same time, there is deception within the military ranks and civil war is on the horizon. Theos and Finnvid have to survive first.
Kate Sherwood stepped outside the norm with this story and did an incredible job with characterization and world building. I was enthralled and captivated by the detail and descriptions; I could easily visualize their world, both inside the villages and on the marches, and especially inside the snow dens. This is a complete story from start to finish and I loved it.
Audio Review:
I can’t believe I ended up loving this audio. I was really thrown off initially by the very caveman / Tarzan-like voice portrayed by Dorian Bane, and I seriously did not think I was going to like it. However, I gave it a chance, and once I became acclimated to the characters, it fit. I’ve learned my lesson; don’t give up too soon just because the voice is not what I expected to hear.
This story remains a five star, and the audio is easily a four star. The reason four the one star drop is simply that it took too long for me to differentiate the voice of Theos and the other Sacrati, compared to Finnvid. Andros and Theos were so similar that I really needed to listen hard, but eventually it sunk in. But still, Dorian Bane does a stellar job bringing this incredible book to life, and I know it could not have been easy. So, kudos to the narrator for taking on the task and offering the listener a performance to remember.
I either love or hate audio books. I really do not seem to have a grey area, so if I recommend one, then trust when I say you will enjoy the performance. Even though this one went a little different than I expected, it was still a wonderful audio and one that I think you will love too.
The Blogger Girls
June 8, 2021
One thing I enjoyed reading here is Theo’s character. He’s a lovely character – sexy, honest and unapologetic. He is also very charming and charismatic – a perfect Sacrati indeed! Finvid was annoying as hell all throughout. There was no part in this very long story that I felt sympathy towards him. The idea about the Sacrati was great but the whole world building did not really work out well plus it was awfully long. Good thing, the ending was quite strong, though I am not convinced about the promise of exclusivity between Finvid and Theo.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Want to read
March 19, 2015SO I FINALLY HAVE THIS.
...and I have a shit ton of stuff that I have to do before I can even think about reading it...
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God awful cover, but it sounds interesting.
...and I have a shit ton of stuff that I have to do before I can even think about reading it...
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God awful cover, but it sounds interesting.
May 14, 2015
2.5-3. World building wasn't great. And the relationship wasn't either. Didn't buy their romance.
January 23, 2015
A year or two back I stumbled upon Kate Sherwood on a writers' forum and took the opportunity to tell her how much I loved her writing. I was truly taken aback that such an amazing author like her was so modest, saying how she needed a lot more experience and she was just a beginner writer. Truly? Even after years from her Dark Horse series no other author has managed to write a better M/M/M, yet this really wonderful woman thought her work was just beginner level. I wonder if Kate Sherwood has any more excuses to be modest after this masterpiece .
It's why I wanted to read Sacrati even though, to be honest, the blurb and cover didn't appeal to me. Because, Knowing the quality of Kate Sherwood's work I couldn't imagined it being anything other than flawless. What I got though, exceeded even my expectations.
Like Dark Horse, I don't think this book will ever be unpopular for the M/M readers. It will be an iconic read. The plot, the characters, they were all flawless. But beyond all that, I loved the message of the book, the emotions it makes you feel.
At first it made me think a lot of Captive Prince. The idea itself is very similar in the beginning, but then the book, thankfully, takes a completely different and original route. The action is placed in a fictional world where civilizations are divided in valleys. On one hand there's the Torian Empire with its many valleys and the Elkat valley, one of the few left unconquered by the Empire.
Theos is a Torian Sacrati- a group of highly trained soldiers. He's grown up and lived in a society where people are separated by gender: women live in the city, they rule over everything that doesn't have to do with war. Once a year they choose men to conceive their children with and then men and women never see each other again until the next year. Men live outside the city, in barracks; they train, have sex and go to war. For Theo's society, sex with the same gender is normal and natural.
On the other hand, Elkati have completely different principles. They believe in mating for life and only with people from the other gender. When Prince Finnvid of Elkat is captured by Theos and his men, he's forced to change his whole view on sexuality and social customs.
The story would have been beautiful just like this. But that's only one layer of the story. Mrs. Sherwood went much farther than that, layering levels upon levels of complexity to the plot. She brought in political intrigues and emotional betrayals. She forced her characters to face their fears, she made them see behind the façades and challenge everything they've been raised to believe in. For example, while Finnvid learns that Torians aren't the vulgar, barbaric people he was led to believe, Theos understands there is much more to the world than having sex and going to war.
You'll find touching pieces of dialogue, superb characterization and so much adventure it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
I'm telling you, you will never forget this book.
*Disclaimer - No, I do not know the author and I was't paid to write this, in case anyone's wondering. I just loved it SO much and I vow to bugger everyone I know to read it !
It's why I wanted to read Sacrati even though, to be honest, the blurb and cover didn't appeal to me. Because, Knowing the quality of Kate Sherwood's work I couldn't imagined it being anything other than flawless. What I got though, exceeded even my expectations.
Like Dark Horse, I don't think this book will ever be unpopular for the M/M readers. It will be an iconic read. The plot, the characters, they were all flawless. But beyond all that, I loved the message of the book, the emotions it makes you feel.
At first it made me think a lot of Captive Prince. The idea itself is very similar in the beginning, but then the book, thankfully, takes a completely different and original route. The action is placed in a fictional world where civilizations are divided in valleys. On one hand there's the Torian Empire with its many valleys and the Elkat valley, one of the few left unconquered by the Empire.
Theos is a Torian Sacrati- a group of highly trained soldiers. He's grown up and lived in a society where people are separated by gender: women live in the city, they rule over everything that doesn't have to do with war. Once a year they choose men to conceive their children with and then men and women never see each other again until the next year. Men live outside the city, in barracks; they train, have sex and go to war. For Theo's society, sex with the same gender is normal and natural.
On the other hand, Elkati have completely different principles. They believe in mating for life and only with people from the other gender. When Prince Finnvid of Elkat is captured by Theos and his men, he's forced to change his whole view on sexuality and social customs.
The story would have been beautiful just like this. But that's only one layer of the story. Mrs. Sherwood went much farther than that, layering levels upon levels of complexity to the plot. She brought in political intrigues and emotional betrayals. She forced her characters to face their fears, she made them see behind the façades and challenge everything they've been raised to believe in. For example, while Finnvid learns that Torians aren't the vulgar, barbaric people he was led to believe, Theos understands there is much more to the world than having sex and going to war.
You'll find touching pieces of dialogue, superb characterization and so much adventure it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
I'm telling you, you will never forget this book.
*Disclaimer - No, I do not know the author and I was't paid to write this, in case anyone's wondering. I just loved it SO much and I vow to bugger everyone I know to read it !
September 29, 2015
A powerful, enthralling tale that goes beyond romance.
The world surrounding Theos and Finnvid was vivid and brilliantly brought to life. There was enough intrigue and magic to satisfy a fantasy fan.
The romance isn't very typical and it takes awhile for Theos and Finnvid to acknowledge their feelings for each other.
I enjoyed every moment of this book.
The world surrounding Theos and Finnvid was vivid and brilliantly brought to life. There was enough intrigue and magic to satisfy a fantasy fan.
The romance isn't very typical and it takes awhile for Theos and Finnvid to acknowledge their feelings for each other.
I enjoyed every moment of this book.
July 30, 2015
I loved this one soooo much. 5 stars are not enough. I'm not a huge fan of the author but i couldn't pass this cover. I was intrigued and had to read it. so so good.unique and special and totally not what I'm used to. the story wasn't boring for a moment nd the writing was perfect.
January 13, 2016
4.5 stars. I think it's entirely possible that if anyone else had written this, I would have rated it 5 stars. But Dark Horse spoiled me. Every time I buy something from this author, I keep hoping it will be a book that will rival the wonderful Dark Horse in breadth and depth and quality, and this isn't quite there.
What this is, is a smart and engrossing read about a primitive Spartan-like yet matriarchal society, set in conflict with a traditional feudal monarchy. This book has solid world building, very likable MCs who have chemistry, the author's trademark easy-going banter between characters. The story is also well paced, with tension in the plot, desperate actions, political intrigue, and a satisfying ending. There is also a great epilogue of sorts on the author's website.
Heh, as I'm writing this review, I decided to round this up to 5 stars. A truly delightful read. I put off starting this because of the scary cover (not an accurate reflection of the mood of the book at all, imo), and I'm glad I went ahead and read it.
What this is, is a smart and engrossing read about a primitive Spartan-like yet matriarchal society, set in conflict with a traditional feudal monarchy. This book has solid world building, very likable MCs who have chemistry, the author's trademark easy-going banter between characters. The story is also well paced, with tension in the plot, desperate actions, political intrigue, and a satisfying ending. There is also a great epilogue of sorts on the author's website.
Heh, as I'm writing this review, I decided to round this up to 5 stars. A truly delightful read. I put off starting this because of the scary cover (not an accurate reflection of the mood of the book at all, imo), and I'm glad I went ahead and read it.
Read
September 23, 2015omg omg got approved for ARC for this!! :)
June 5, 2016
AUDIO REVIEW
It's been a while since I picked up a good enemies to lovers romance and it was extra intriguing because it is a fantasy setting and by a new to me author. Two societies and two men clash in this warring fantasy world that pulled me in with an engaging plot, well-drawn backdrop, and characters that kept me guessing if they would ever get past their issues.
The story opens with elite Sacrati warrior group leader, Theos, and his men encountering a party of the enemy that are well within the boundaries of their lands. Theos and his men take the party of Elkati easily and lead their new prisoners back to their home city for interrogation and to be processed as slaves for the Torian empire. Only, Theos is suspicious of why this group strayed so far into enemy territory. It had to be on purpose, but unfortunately, nobody's talking.
Theos and his best friend Andros figure out that surprisingly the young untried looking one seems to be the leader. Finnvid is defiant and Theos knows he holds secrets. Theos is shocked when the warlord's men do an inept interrogation and then attempts to spirit Finnvid away with a slave caravan before he has shared his secrets. Theos doesn't know what is going on, but he knows Finnvid is the key so he impulsively exercises his rights as victorious marauder and claims Finnvid as his slave thus putting himself in the warlord's crosshairs and curtailing that particular plot involving the young secretive Elkati.
It is unarmed and sometimes armed neutrality at best between the new and reluctant master and his haughty, resentful slave. They clash over everything from the Torian's daily lives and roles to the Torian's open dealings with the same sex and the opposite sex. Finnvid gets an eyeful and finds it all shocking. Theos is equally appalled when he discovers Finnvid and the other Elkati treat their woman as less to the men, have clumsy and rudimentary military skill, and are so constricted in their monogamous sex life.
Theos comes from an open, accepting culture where the women live in and run the city within the walls and the men live in the military barracks outside. There are distinct roles and it is not a shame to openly love their own sex or to enjoy the festivals when the women call the men into the city to help them make children. Torians are a military war machine that conquer and integrate the lands around them, but stabilize as they go so that wealth and commodities are more evenly distributed and the Elkati, though not martial, wish to keep the Torian war machine out of their valley and take a special privilege for special born attitude.
A game of cat and mouse is in play where the stakes are high. Theos likes things simple and lives his life with honor, but he slowly discovers that all is not as it should be on the home front. What goes on in his little valley and the Torian city there is nothing like the rest of the sprawling Empire where the center of the country has left behind the Torian tenants and live for decadence and gain. Finnvid has his own end game going and works his plan only to discover complications not only with his mission in Toria, but also what is going on back in Elkat. He is also going through great confusion about himself and a crisis of conscience once he really opens himself to seeing that different doesn't mean bad and his early assumptions about many things are utterly wrong. But the two men need to figure out themselves so that when the crisis comes, they will know where their true loyalties lie.
Alright, so I do enjoy this sort of story. There is a lot going on here. Intrigue and spying, plottings and ploys. Two unique races who have culture and social clashes along with different ideologies about war. Then there is this all brought from a grand to an individual scale with the two protagonists.
It made for a long story detailing out the differences in those two societies which at first seemed a social commentary on which was better, but then later showed that neither are completely perfect and the two men must figure out how to bridge the gap between countries, but also between their ideas of relationship. Don't get me wrong, I loved the world of the story and the chance for the characters to be developed well along with some good action and suspense, but there were draggy parts where the ideology stuff got repetitive. The reader gets a strong understanding of the Torian way of life and then the Elkati mostly through Theos and Finnvid's eyes, but throughout the book, the descriptions are repeated.
It was interesting getting a romance that featured a hero who lived in an open relationship style and the other hero who was a virgin. Though, they don't come together for some time (enemies, master/slave, etc), there are sparks, attraction, and passion right away though it is channeled into verbal and silent battles between the pair. They have to come to a meeting of the minds and have to overcome betrayal and suspicion before the air is cleared for the romance to happen.
It's a non-traditional romance because of the open lifestyle in Theos' group, but not because Theos ever uses Finnvid as truly his slave. All the interactions are very much consensual though the world of this story has both races keep slaves who probably are at the mercy of masters.
A gifted audio narrator, Dorian Bane, was at the helm on this story. He had a large cast of people mostly male, but also from different races that I felt he did rather well. The characters were in livid detail and his pace, emotional tone, and storytelling enhanced an already good story.
In summary, this was fantastic- long and drawn out, but never lost my interest. The end third was a real page turner. M/M Fantasy Romance lovers should give this one a try.
My thanks to Riptide Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's been a while since I picked up a good enemies to lovers romance and it was extra intriguing because it is a fantasy setting and by a new to me author. Two societies and two men clash in this warring fantasy world that pulled me in with an engaging plot, well-drawn backdrop, and characters that kept me guessing if they would ever get past their issues.
The story opens with elite Sacrati warrior group leader, Theos, and his men encountering a party of the enemy that are well within the boundaries of their lands. Theos and his men take the party of Elkati easily and lead their new prisoners back to their home city for interrogation and to be processed as slaves for the Torian empire. Only, Theos is suspicious of why this group strayed so far into enemy territory. It had to be on purpose, but unfortunately, nobody's talking.
Theos and his best friend Andros figure out that surprisingly the young untried looking one seems to be the leader. Finnvid is defiant and Theos knows he holds secrets. Theos is shocked when the warlord's men do an inept interrogation and then attempts to spirit Finnvid away with a slave caravan before he has shared his secrets. Theos doesn't know what is going on, but he knows Finnvid is the key so he impulsively exercises his rights as victorious marauder and claims Finnvid as his slave thus putting himself in the warlord's crosshairs and curtailing that particular plot involving the young secretive Elkati.
It is unarmed and sometimes armed neutrality at best between the new and reluctant master and his haughty, resentful slave. They clash over everything from the Torian's daily lives and roles to the Torian's open dealings with the same sex and the opposite sex. Finnvid gets an eyeful and finds it all shocking. Theos is equally appalled when he discovers Finnvid and the other Elkati treat their woman as less to the men, have clumsy and rudimentary military skill, and are so constricted in their monogamous sex life.
Theos comes from an open, accepting culture where the women live in and run the city within the walls and the men live in the military barracks outside. There are distinct roles and it is not a shame to openly love their own sex or to enjoy the festivals when the women call the men into the city to help them make children. Torians are a military war machine that conquer and integrate the lands around them, but stabilize as they go so that wealth and commodities are more evenly distributed and the Elkati, though not martial, wish to keep the Torian war machine out of their valley and take a special privilege for special born attitude.
A game of cat and mouse is in play where the stakes are high. Theos likes things simple and lives his life with honor, but he slowly discovers that all is not as it should be on the home front. What goes on in his little valley and the Torian city there is nothing like the rest of the sprawling Empire where the center of the country has left behind the Torian tenants and live for decadence and gain. Finnvid has his own end game going and works his plan only to discover complications not only with his mission in Toria, but also what is going on back in Elkat. He is also going through great confusion about himself and a crisis of conscience once he really opens himself to seeing that different doesn't mean bad and his early assumptions about many things are utterly wrong. But the two men need to figure out themselves so that when the crisis comes, they will know where their true loyalties lie.
Alright, so I do enjoy this sort of story. There is a lot going on here. Intrigue and spying, plottings and ploys. Two unique races who have culture and social clashes along with different ideologies about war. Then there is this all brought from a grand to an individual scale with the two protagonists.
It made for a long story detailing out the differences in those two societies which at first seemed a social commentary on which was better, but then later showed that neither are completely perfect and the two men must figure out how to bridge the gap between countries, but also between their ideas of relationship. Don't get me wrong, I loved the world of the story and the chance for the characters to be developed well along with some good action and suspense, but there were draggy parts where the ideology stuff got repetitive. The reader gets a strong understanding of the Torian way of life and then the Elkati mostly through Theos and Finnvid's eyes, but throughout the book, the descriptions are repeated.
It was interesting getting a romance that featured a hero who lived in an open relationship style and the other hero who was a virgin. Though, they don't come together for some time (enemies, master/slave, etc), there are sparks, attraction, and passion right away though it is channeled into verbal and silent battles between the pair. They have to come to a meeting of the minds and have to overcome betrayal and suspicion before the air is cleared for the romance to happen.
It's a non-traditional romance because of the open lifestyle in Theos' group, but not because Theos ever uses Finnvid as truly his slave. All the interactions are very much consensual though the world of this story has both races keep slaves who probably are at the mercy of masters.
A gifted audio narrator, Dorian Bane, was at the helm on this story. He had a large cast of people mostly male, but also from different races that I felt he did rather well. The characters were in livid detail and his pace, emotional tone, and storytelling enhanced an already good story.
In summary, this was fantastic- long and drawn out, but never lost my interest. The end third was a real page turner. M/M Fantasy Romance lovers should give this one a try.
My thanks to Riptide Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2023
My least favourite part of this book was the cover. And it’s an ok cover! The problem is that in my opinion it does not represent the contents.
I love books with strong characters that grow and change as the book progresses. I love books that show clashing perspectives, and provide mental stimulation to the reader. At the same time not once did it feel like the author thinks the reader should be educated.
I loved the scope, I loved how the main characters didn’t feel like the chosen ones. Loved the ethical dilemmas the plot presented. You know you have read a great book when subjects you usually hate are handled in a way that make you more invested in the plot (for me it’s politics).
Great romance/plot ratio.
This will be my go to suggestion for all the readers who liked Captive Prince but without the problematic aspects of Captive Prince.
Super hard recommend for mm readers with an open mind.
I love books with strong characters that grow and change as the book progresses. I love books that show clashing perspectives, and provide mental stimulation to the reader. At the same time not once did it feel like the author thinks the reader should be educated.
I loved the scope, I loved how the main characters didn’t feel like the chosen ones. Loved the ethical dilemmas the plot presented. You know you have read a great book when subjects you usually hate are handled in a way that make you more invested in the plot (for me it’s politics).
Great romance/plot ratio.
This will be my go to suggestion for all the readers who liked Captive Prince but without the problematic aspects of Captive Prince.
Super hard recommend for mm readers with an open mind.
May 17, 2015
An intelligent story about culture shock and opposing values wrapped in the political intrigues of a historical fantasy.
If you've read the Memory of Scorpions series by Aleksandr Voinov, Sacrati has a similar vibe to it, in that you've got a warrior of an elite group embroiled in political intrigues that're rather against his nature; he'd rather be a fighter and follow orders than have to figure out what side is "right" or "wrong" and possibly take down a regime. (And try not to fall in love with an enemy in the meantime.)
The Torian Empire is made up of several valleys within a mountainous region. One of our heroes is from one of the westernmost valleys, Windthorn, which borders with the Elkati kingdom/region/valley. The men of the Torian empire all live outside the main city in barracks, and they specialize in fighting and nothing else. The women and children all live within the city walls, and they do all the other tasks: agriculture, crafts, smithing, healing, learning, etc. It's a system which works for them, though it is imperfect. Within the men is an elite group of fighters known as the Sacrati. They push themselves harder and band together more as brothers, though they do still fight alongside their non-Sacrati Torian warriors as well.
A band of Sacrati come across a band of Elkati who have traveled over their border. The Sacrati take them as prisoners and hike back to Windthorn. As leader of the Sacrati party, Theos is allowed to take one prisoner as his own personal property before the rest are tested to become warriors or are shipped back to the central valleys of the Torian Empire as tributes or menial labor. Due to an unusual set of circumstances, Theos takes Finnvid as his property instead of just requesting his value and selling him off to a trader. This upsets the local warlord (the leader of the Torian troops, though the Sacrati have their own captain who also reports to the warlord). Soon the weird circumstances begin to pile up, putting Theos in the middle of the warlord, the Sacrati, and the city (ruled by the women).
Eventually it comes out that Finnvid is of special interest to the warlord. He had been in communication with the warlord, and was attempting to put off the Torian invasion of the Elkati valley while gathering intel about the Torians. And what Finnvid discovers of the politics within the Windthorn valley could change the way the Elkati ally themselves.
But as with all good political intrigue stories, manipulation leads to misunderstanding, and mistakes are made which may prove to be too difficult to overcome, making a war inevitable. But first, the Torians have to figure out their own internal issues, and Finnvid and Theos have to decide where their loyalties lie, because now each as a better understanding of the people on the other side of the conflict.
Theos is loveable in his forthright honesty. He is without guile and wants to lead a simple life. Most of his issues with Finnvid come from his inability to understand the prudishness of the Elkati way of life, whereas Finnvid is unable to accept the sexual freedom, lack of commitment, and lack of freedom for men (to choose an occupation) in the Torian way of life. They do begin to find common ground slowly, but then secrets are revealed and transgressions occur which set them back before they can truly find each other.
Third person limited POV alternates between Theos and Finnvid.
If you're worried about cheating between the MCs,
I would describe the end as HFN, and there are some open ends which could make for a possible sequel. I wouldn't be opposed to reading more of their story.
If you've read the Memory of Scorpions series by Aleksandr Voinov, Sacrati has a similar vibe to it, in that you've got a warrior of an elite group embroiled in political intrigues that're rather against his nature; he'd rather be a fighter and follow orders than have to figure out what side is "right" or "wrong" and possibly take down a regime. (And try not to fall in love with an enemy in the meantime.)
The Torian Empire is made up of several valleys within a mountainous region. One of our heroes is from one of the westernmost valleys, Windthorn, which borders with the Elkati kingdom/region/valley. The men of the Torian empire all live outside the main city in barracks, and they specialize in fighting and nothing else. The women and children all live within the city walls, and they do all the other tasks: agriculture, crafts, smithing, healing, learning, etc. It's a system which works for them, though it is imperfect. Within the men is an elite group of fighters known as the Sacrati. They push themselves harder and band together more as brothers, though they do still fight alongside their non-Sacrati Torian warriors as well.
A band of Sacrati come across a band of Elkati who have traveled over their border. The Sacrati take them as prisoners and hike back to Windthorn. As leader of the Sacrati party, Theos is allowed to take one prisoner as his own personal property before the rest are tested to become warriors or are shipped back to the central valleys of the Torian Empire as tributes or menial labor. Due to an unusual set of circumstances, Theos takes Finnvid as his property instead of just requesting his value and selling him off to a trader. This upsets the local warlord (the leader of the Torian troops, though the Sacrati have their own captain who also reports to the warlord). Soon the weird circumstances begin to pile up, putting Theos in the middle of the warlord, the Sacrati, and the city (ruled by the women).
Eventually it comes out that Finnvid is of special interest to the warlord. He had been in communication with the warlord, and was attempting to put off the Torian invasion of the Elkati valley while gathering intel about the Torians. And what Finnvid discovers of the politics within the Windthorn valley could change the way the Elkati ally themselves.
But as with all good political intrigue stories, manipulation leads to misunderstanding, and mistakes are made which may prove to be too difficult to overcome, making a war inevitable. But first, the Torians have to figure out their own internal issues, and Finnvid and Theos have to decide where their loyalties lie, because now each as a better understanding of the people on the other side of the conflict.
Theos is loveable in his forthright honesty. He is without guile and wants to lead a simple life. Most of his issues with Finnvid come from his inability to understand the prudishness of the Elkati way of life, whereas Finnvid is unable to accept the sexual freedom, lack of commitment, and lack of freedom for men (to choose an occupation) in the Torian way of life. They do begin to find common ground slowly, but then secrets are revealed and transgressions occur which set them back before they can truly find each other.
Third person limited POV alternates between Theos and Finnvid.
If you're worried about cheating between the MCs,
I would describe the end as HFN, and there are some open ends which could make for a possible sequel. I wouldn't be opposed to reading more of their story.
May 19, 2015
Spectacularly good.
Apparently Sacrati is a long book, but I didn't notice as I read the story in several sittings completely entranced by the characters and their reactions to the cleverly twisting plot.
It has so many things that add up to a great book for me:
Two gorgeous leading men who are both honourable AND flawed (tick)
Interesting clash of culture (tick)
Slavery (tick)
Hot male bodies bathing (tick)
Adventure (tick)
Betrayal and conspiracy (tick)
Action (tick)
Great world building (tick)
Powerful female character (tick)
Angst and misunderstanding (tick)
Male/male romance (tick)
What's not to love?
Finnvid from Elkat is on a secret mission when he and his men are captured and enslaved by Theos and his elite band of Sacarati fighters (a part of the Torian army).
The story unfolds as Theos and Finnvid are drawn together gradually building a grudging friendship that has the potential to develop into something much deeper if each of them is able to overcome their upbringing and respective familial and vastly different societal expectations in the face of imminent war. The cultural differences are beautifully and sympathetically portrayed adding hugely to my enjoyment of the book, as Finnvidd discovers a much more promiscuous society that leaves him questioning his own attitudes and beliefs; just as Theos equally questions his own values and choices too. Utterly absorbing, Sacrati has quite a slow
and thoughtful pace and also manages to keep the action flowing steadily.
I was provided with a complimentary copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Apparently Sacrati is a long book, but I didn't notice as I read the story in several sittings completely entranced by the characters and their reactions to the cleverly twisting plot.
It has so many things that add up to a great book for me:
Two gorgeous leading men who are both honourable AND flawed (tick)
Interesting clash of culture (tick)
Slavery (tick)
Hot male bodies bathing (tick)
Adventure (tick)
Betrayal and conspiracy (tick)
Action (tick)
Great world building (tick)
Powerful female character (tick)
Angst and misunderstanding (tick)
Male/male romance (tick)
What's not to love?
Finnvid from Elkat is on a secret mission when he and his men are captured and enslaved by Theos and his elite band of Sacarati fighters (a part of the Torian army).
The story unfolds as Theos and Finnvid are drawn together gradually building a grudging friendship that has the potential to develop into something much deeper if each of them is able to overcome their upbringing and respective familial and vastly different societal expectations in the face of imminent war. The cultural differences are beautifully and sympathetically portrayed adding hugely to my enjoyment of the book, as Finnvidd discovers a much more promiscuous society that leaves him questioning his own attitudes and beliefs; just as Theos equally questions his own values and choices too. Utterly absorbing, Sacrati has quite a slow
and thoughtful pace and also manages to keep the action flowing steadily.
I was provided with a complimentary copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2017
Enjoyable, but I'm having a hard time articulating why it didn't work better for me. The political structure was interesting. It reminded me heavily of Sherri Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country, though from the perspective of the men in the military barracks rather than the women running the town. I would have liked to know more about how the society developed and why -- if the Empire was so successful and vast -- the Elkati were clueless about its social structure. The back-and-forth between Theos and Finnvid was enjoyable, especially when the two were alone and talking about Elkati mythology, and I liked the slow burn overall. Sherwood produced strong reactions in me with her villains, especially the warlord and the queen-mother. I was let down by With the reeve and the Sacrati captain, it wasn't clear to me if the author wanted to make them politically savvy players who didn't trust Theos, or idiots in over their heads against a much smarter warlord. My final conclusion was cowardly idiots. I am also ambivalent about the wrap-up for Theos and Finnvid. So overall, three stars for an enemies-to-lovers adventure story with a lot of structural weakness.
November 16, 2023
4.5/5
a wonderful hidden gem.
i truly did not expect to love this book as much as i did. the pacing of both the story and the build up of the romance between theos and finnvid was great, and i thoroughly enjoyed the plot and world-building. i also adored all of the characters, including both MCs, which is exceptionally rare—at least for me.
instant forgiveness did not occur in this story, which i appreciated greatly; characters didn't just go running back into each other's arms after something bad happened, they gradually worked their way back up. and the slow burn and UST was too good; theos and finnvid's yearning for each other was so palpable. it was extremely refreshing and a nice change of pace in comparison to some of the rushed romances in other stories i've read recently.
sherwood also does a magnificent job of showing instead of telling, and the descriptions of both settings and the emotions characters felt throughout the story truly impressed me. there were even some moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, which is not a common occurrence at all bc i oftentimes find banter or dialogue between MCs in m/m romance novels cringeworthy.
if i have to have a minor criticism, though, the "denning up" scenes towards the end got a little repetitive.
all in all, this story had me captivated the entire way through. i'll definitely be sure to check out other books by this author!
a wonderful hidden gem.
i truly did not expect to love this book as much as i did. the pacing of both the story and the build up of the romance between theos and finnvid was great, and i thoroughly enjoyed the plot and world-building. i also adored all of the characters, including both MCs, which is exceptionally rare—at least for me.
instant forgiveness did not occur in this story, which i appreciated greatly; characters didn't just go running back into each other's arms after something bad happened, they gradually worked their way back up. and the slow burn and UST was too good; theos and finnvid's yearning for each other was so palpable. it was extremely refreshing and a nice change of pace in comparison to some of the rushed romances in other stories i've read recently.
sherwood also does a magnificent job of showing instead of telling, and the descriptions of both settings and the emotions characters felt throughout the story truly impressed me. there were even some moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, which is not a common occurrence at all bc i oftentimes find banter or dialogue between MCs in m/m romance novels cringeworthy.
if i have to have a minor criticism, though, the "denning up" scenes towards the end got a little repetitive.
all in all, this story had me captivated the entire way through. i'll definitely be sure to check out other books by this author!
May 12, 2015
This book was a mixed bag for me.
On one hand I was super excited to read it. After finishing Captive Prince I was hoping for another goldmine in the Fantasy M/M genre. I was also terrified that my possible goldmine would inevitably wind up being a landmine instead.
It wasn't. :)
I had some issues with the book. First, it jumps right into sex pretty fast which threw me off because I was anticipating a more serious fantasy book, and I started to feel like it was more of an erotica. Second, because I wasn't really connecting to the characters.
Still, what was lacking in the beginning was quickly made up for. The two main characters, Theos and Finn, had a banter between them that I found so surprisingly funny. What lacked in the world building was more than made up for in the connection that grew between the two MC's, so much so that my hesitation faded away and I ended up reading the whole book in a day.
3.5 star read, based 75% on character interaction. Not bad. I'd read another.
Group Review feature at BadassBookReviews.com
On one hand I was super excited to read it. After finishing Captive Prince I was hoping for another goldmine in the Fantasy M/M genre. I was also terrified that my possible goldmine would inevitably wind up being a landmine instead.
It wasn't. :)
I had some issues with the book. First, it jumps right into sex pretty fast which threw me off because I was anticipating a more serious fantasy book, and I started to feel like it was more of an erotica. Second, because I wasn't really connecting to the characters.
Still, what was lacking in the beginning was quickly made up for. The two main characters, Theos and Finn, had a banter between them that I found so surprisingly funny. What lacked in the world building was more than made up for in the connection that grew between the two MC's, so much so that my hesitation faded away and I ended up reading the whole book in a day.
3.5 star read, based 75% on character interaction. Not bad. I'd read another.
Group Review feature at BadassBookReviews.com
May 12, 2015
4.25 stars.
Kate Sherwood is quickly turning into a favorite author of mine. Sacrati was a solid, engaging fantasy story that kept me interested from beginning to the end. I loved all the politics involved into solving the matters between two warring nations, the complex world-building, and the romance was pretty great, too... if complicated because of all the differences between the heroes. Theos, a brutish and honorable warrior from an elite Sacrati squad, and Finnvid, a wily, manipulative enemy on an important diplomatic mission clashed and fought from the first pages. Yet, they fit so well together, and their enmity added some delicious sexual tension. I loved reading their interactions.
Apart from a bit too much traveling back and forth between two countries (camping in winter! *shudder*), this was a highly enjoyable read.
Recommended!
**ARC provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley.**
Kate Sherwood is quickly turning into a favorite author of mine. Sacrati was a solid, engaging fantasy story that kept me interested from beginning to the end. I loved all the politics involved into solving the matters between two warring nations, the complex world-building, and the romance was pretty great, too... if complicated because of all the differences between the heroes. Theos, a brutish and honorable warrior from an elite Sacrati squad, and Finnvid, a wily, manipulative enemy on an important diplomatic mission clashed and fought from the first pages. Yet, they fit so well together, and their enmity added some delicious sexual tension. I loved reading their interactions.
Apart from a bit too much traveling back and forth between two countries (camping in winter! *shudder*), this was a highly enjoyable read.
Recommended!
**ARC provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley.**
December 27, 2022
Enemies to lovers typically isn't a trope for me, but in this book, it really worked. It was interesting to see Theos and Finnvid deal with the clash between their cultures, with Theos coming from a polyamorous, matriarchal society and Finnvid from a monogamous, heteronormative, patriarchal one. The relationship that builds between them is very much a slow burn, and I loved seeing the two of them get to know and understand each other despite the political and personal issues between them. There is a lot of good worldbuilding and fantasy politics in the book, and I also loved the survival scenes as they travelled across the snowy mountains. A really good fantasy romance!
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May 10, 2016I really enjoyed the book, so much in this story regardless of the romance which was done very well. The way the history of the two different societies, how different their cultures are. The sole way one "worked" to function therefore the effects of every day life revolved around it (relationships, jobs, housing). The characters were well developed and the banter was perfect for the setting. Everything about this just flowed well.
February 29, 2016
It is such a wonderful book! I usually read fantasy not because it's fantasy but rather in spite of it, so I doubted I'd like this book. But oh, I loved it. Such a perfect enemies-to-lovers development! it was a joy to learn more about Theos, about Finnvid, to see them both grow and change, to see their relationship develop.
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