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Hojer - Inherent Gifts #3
Inherent Cost
Novel (140,000 words)
Genre(s): Gay, Slavefic, Drama, Romance
Jere has been in Hojer for just over two years. He has been drawn into a political role, promoting a bill that could change the way that slaves are treated. At the same time, he is dealing with his own struggles with the political system, the people of Hojer, and trying to do the best thing for his slaves. (M/M - See publisher's website for content labels.)
Genre(s): Gay, Slavefic, Drama, Romance
Jere has been in Hojer for just over two years. He has been drawn into a political role, promoting a bill that could change the way that slaves are treated. At the same time, he is dealing with his own struggles with the political system, the people of Hojer, and trying to do the best thing for his slaves. (M/M - See publisher's website for content labels.)
340 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 11, 2016
I don’t know if the problem is that I disconnected with Jere and Wren after the previous book so badly that I couldn’t reconnect again - or just something about this book. At least Isis wasn’t present in every damn scene, so it should’ve been okay… Well, it was okay, but nothing more than that.
I actually liked the political parts of the book, they were making sense and believable, as sad as it is. What I really missed was… I don’t know, the spark between Jere and Wren. There were so many sex scenes in this book, mostly BDSM-flavored and some quite repetitive – as if to prove how close they were. But it didn’t work like that, at least for me. I was really tired of Jere keeping secrets from Wren again and making life-changing decisions without him again – and his “sorry” and promises not to do it any more… how many times did we hear it already? Wren, on the other hand, was almost blasé about everything. It’s like his reactions were on a different scale from the horrible things that happened to him. Like, whatever happened, he got a bit upset or a little withdrawn but then he and Jere went to bed and everything was fine.
It was, like, I don’t know, the author didn’t have anything else to add about this pairing but still had plot points to tell about: political changes, Isis’s parents, etc. – hence the result.
I actually liked the political parts of the book, they were making sense and believable, as sad as it is. What I really missed was… I don’t know, the spark between Jere and Wren. There were so many sex scenes in this book, mostly BDSM-flavored and some quite repetitive – as if to prove how close they were. But it didn’t work like that, at least for me. I was really tired of Jere keeping secrets from Wren again and making life-changing decisions without him again – and his “sorry” and promises not to do it any more… how many times did we hear it already? Wren, on the other hand, was almost blasé about everything. It’s like his reactions were on a different scale from the horrible things that happened to him. Like, whatever happened, he got a bit upset or a little withdrawn but then he and Jere went to bed and everything was fine.
It was, like, I don’t know, the author didn’t have anything else to add about this pairing but still had plot points to tell about: political changes, Isis’s parents, etc. – hence the result.
August 8, 2016
4 costly stars!!! My favorite one in the series!!
In this third book of the series, Jere is now taking on the role of a politician. He's seeking a bill that will change the way slaves are treated. All the while he's also struggling with the political system. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I loved this book so much more than the first two. Yes it's just as different as the others, but this one had so much heart in it. Jere is a different man compared to the other books, and you find yourself falling for him as you read!!
Great book and great series!! I'm now a huge fan of Alicia!!! Definitely worth the one click!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Melissa from Alpha Book Club
In this third book of the series, Jere is now taking on the role of a politician. He's seeking a bill that will change the way slaves are treated. All the while he's also struggling with the political system. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I loved this book so much more than the first two. Yes it's just as different as the others, but this one had so much heart in it. Jere is a different man compared to the other books, and you find yourself falling for him as you read!!
Great book and great series!! I'm now a huge fan of Alicia!!! Definitely worth the one click!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Melissa from Alpha Book Club
August 10, 2016
***3.5 Stars for Inherent Cost***
There’s a lot happening in this book. Jere is an excellent doctor who is forced to undertake the role of politician in order to better serve the slave state in which he resides. Wren is a remarkably well-adjusted slave who adores Jere and his life with his master, but is ever reminded that his is not the norm for most slaves. Then there is Isis, a teenage slave who has a photographic memory and the mental ability to calm those around her. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so well on her, and while she’s adjusting to life in Jere’s household, she’s still rather skittish.
When Jere discovers an important link to Isis’s past, she must undergo an exam to determine whether he can take her out of Hojer, and training for this exam is harsh at best. Because Wren is far and away the most knowledgeable, he trains Jere and Isis both, sometimes with devastating results.
This was a wild ride through wholly unfamiliar territory for me. I did not read the first two books in the series, so I didn’t see how this couple came to be together, nor how they incorporated Isis into their home. However, there are no references that aren’t fully explained, and I had no problem following the storyline once I had a little adjustment of mindset at the beginning of the book.
That said, it was kind of hit and miss for me. I enjoyed some aspects tremendously - Jere’s willingness to forget he owned slaves, Wren’s command of any situation thrown at him, and Jere’s friend who is willing to step up to the plate for him. Other aspects, which I can’t really discuss without giving away plot points, fell very flat for me. The main plot is great. The subplots are less so, but some are really good, as well. The pacing is all over the place, really stagnating in one area only to rush through another.
The character development is high for Jere and Isis, significantly less so for Wren, and by the conclusion, I was more ambivalent than I wanted to be about how the author chose to end it. I think it could have gone a couple of different directions that would have been more fulfilling. Leaving things there reads more as an HFN than an HEA. Too much is still in the air, and while I don’t know if there will be another book, chances are strong I won’t be reading to find out what happens.
Review copy of Inherent Cost provided by the publisher, Forbidden Fiction, for an honest review.
There’s a lot happening in this book. Jere is an excellent doctor who is forced to undertake the role of politician in order to better serve the slave state in which he resides. Wren is a remarkably well-adjusted slave who adores Jere and his life with his master, but is ever reminded that his is not the norm for most slaves. Then there is Isis, a teenage slave who has a photographic memory and the mental ability to calm those around her. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so well on her, and while she’s adjusting to life in Jere’s household, she’s still rather skittish.
When Jere discovers an important link to Isis’s past, she must undergo an exam to determine whether he can take her out of Hojer, and training for this exam is harsh at best. Because Wren is far and away the most knowledgeable, he trains Jere and Isis both, sometimes with devastating results.
This was a wild ride through wholly unfamiliar territory for me. I did not read the first two books in the series, so I didn’t see how this couple came to be together, nor how they incorporated Isis into their home. However, there are no references that aren’t fully explained, and I had no problem following the storyline once I had a little adjustment of mindset at the beginning of the book.
That said, it was kind of hit and miss for me. I enjoyed some aspects tremendously - Jere’s willingness to forget he owned slaves, Wren’s command of any situation thrown at him, and Jere’s friend who is willing to step up to the plate for him. Other aspects, which I can’t really discuss without giving away plot points, fell very flat for me. The main plot is great. The subplots are less so, but some are really good, as well. The pacing is all over the place, really stagnating in one area only to rush through another.
The character development is high for Jere and Isis, significantly less so for Wren, and by the conclusion, I was more ambivalent than I wanted to be about how the author chose to end it. I think it could have gone a couple of different directions that would have been more fulfilling. Leaving things there reads more as an HFN than an HEA. Too much is still in the air, and while I don’t know if there will be another book, chances are strong I won’t be reading to find out what happens.
Review copy of Inherent Cost provided by the publisher, Forbidden Fiction, for an honest review.
August 9, 2016
4.5 star>review by The Blogger Girls.
This is one of those stories that captivated me and pulled me into its very colorful world. In this third and final installment, Jere and Wren are doing well, are in love and getting by with life in Hojer, with their little family that now includes Isis, the slave girl Jere bought and saved in the last book. The three have a very symbiotic relationship. Jere is the healer with Wren his assistant in the clinic. Isis uses her memory skill to keep track of things and take notes for Jere, as well as help out around the clinic and house. She also provides energy recharging when Jere needs it after healing patients.
It doesn’t take long for things to start taking a turn. With Jere becoming more vocal and more involved in the anti-slavery goings on, things really start to heat up. Add to that some of their past experiences coming back to haunt them, and things get pretty hairy. There is a lot going on in this story, but it never feels like overkill. People are causing problems for Jere by way of complaints filed that bring the slave commission down on him and his clinic. He is forbidden from treating slaves (they must go to veterinarians), he must get himself and Isis certified for travel (a major undertaking which Wren works very hard to accomplish through training sessions), and Wren is put on the spot more than once. He continues to struggle to keep his rare second skill of firemaking a secret, while still suffering from memories of the death of his last Master.
Jere and Wren have a very unique relationship. They are madly in love, but Wren is still a slave, much to Jere’s denial. More often than not, it is Wren who is topping and being the dominant lover, and Wren is the one who keeps them all straight and on the right path. There is talk of freedom for slaves, and of Jere taking a job outside of Hojer which cause them to do some rethinking. They have some misunderstandings along the way, but they are most definitely devoted to one another.
So, again, a lot happens, from political powers and trying to push through legislation on the anti-slave movement and healthcare. I really enjoyed and found it extremely interesting to read a story about a society such as Hojer. This is a wonderfully woven tale and world Ms. Cameron has created, and while I was happy to see the conclusion, I was a bit sad the ride was over.
July 22, 2022
Ugh I was not satisfied by this ending. Like I’m sorry Wren hates being a slave, hates living in a slave state, he chafes against it constantly. This should have ended with them fleeing to a free state. He deserved that.
September 2, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Inherent Cost is the last in the Inherent Gifts series (though there are multiple short stories available that take place in the same universe) and author Alicia Cameron definitely left some of the most stressful moments for last. Jere’s entree into politics is both reluctant and long overdue. He still walks the thin line between being a slave owner and a true abolitionist and that is never more obvious that in Inherent Cost. He is perfectly willing to bend and even break the rules to keep Isis and Wren safe, but the idea of leaving Hojer is still problematic. His defense of slave reform is the only real way he can express his disgust of slavery without losing Wren and Isis to a government authority that lingers too close to home. He and Wren are forced to make some difficult decisions regarding their romance. And the book does an excellent job of asking the question of whether love more important than freedom. The answer is an easy one for me and perhaps you as well, but the struggle Wren and Jere endure feels real and so do the potential consequences.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Inherent Cost is the last in the Inherent Gifts series (though there are multiple short stories available that take place in the same universe) and author Alicia Cameron definitely left some of the most stressful moments for last. Jere’s entree into politics is both reluctant and long overdue. He still walks the thin line between being a slave owner and a true abolitionist and that is never more obvious that in Inherent Cost. He is perfectly willing to bend and even break the rules to keep Isis and Wren safe, but the idea of leaving Hojer is still problematic. His defense of slave reform is the only real way he can express his disgust of slavery without losing Wren and Isis to a government authority that lingers too close to home. He and Wren are forced to make some difficult decisions regarding their romance. And the book does an excellent job of asking the question of whether love more important than freedom. The answer is an easy one for me and perhaps you as well, but the struggle Wren and Jere endure feels real and so do the potential consequences.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews