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I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what to say about this read. It is a splendid story but may not be for the weak of heart. It has bdsm aspects and just acts that go way beyond that and into dub-con torture but is told in such a way that makes you think and question the characters faith and ones own belief. There is one m/f scene just to warn readers who don't like that kind of thing in their m/m stories but it's written in such a way that it shouldn't be an issue at all. Personally just reading and feeling everything via Phillip was riveting and this is saying a lot since dark stories with bdsm usually make me a bit wary. This was a really hard story to put down once you get into it.

Phillips practice of Pentriant was intriguing if not a bit grotesque in the way he found bliss and peace through the whipping. It was inspiring how deep Phillips devotion to his religion was but at the same time it was saddening to learn that his romantic relationships suffered because of it. Phillips meeting with the fatereader was fascinating. The anticipation from wanting to know more about Emlohaine and the gypsun was despairing. The information just wasn't coming fast enough and there was close to nothing of Emlohaine for a long while. The meeting of Oruthane was another gratifying and warying experience in the story. What he represented and all the good and bad he brought with him just layered on more intrigue. The intereaction between the two and reading of Phillip's kindness just went a long way in making me fall in love with this story. I really liked seeing the aftercare and seeing each character redeeming themselves in someway and allowing growth.