4.75This was a brutal read. Set in an alternative universe with a very layered and complicated slave society that juxtaposes the freeman one. Did I say brutal? Despite the violence I never found it gratuitous. It was there, it was a part of Brooklyn's life and he dealt with it. Brook was a former cop and freeman who after accidentally killing a young girl was railroaded by her family and sold into slavery. An amateur boxer prior to his incarceration he is sold to a conglomerate and begins boxing in the slave circuits. He is randomly pimped out by his owners to satisfy the sexual desires of the rich and famous and it's during one of those encounters that he meets Nicholas, who turns out to be much more than just a simple fan.I really loved the boxing storyline here. I don't know much about the sport but from the training to the fight promotion this felt very real and natural. Lots of intensity here that just added to the build up. I desperately wanted freedom for Brook. From page one. I loved his character and his story. This was a fantastic read for me. The chemistry between Brook and Nicholas was wonderful but mostly for me because of it's progression, it was never rushed and moved in increments but never felt slow. Despite stellar characters both MC and secondary the storyline is the star here. The alternate world-building, the slave culture, the boxing matches...there were so many different layers that all weaved into an incredibly tight and gritty story. Loved it. Recommend it.
