This book is fantastic as an exploration of the psychology of the oppressed. The author really gets deep into the mindset of someone who has been profoundly abused for most of his life and the twisted mental processes that arise from that experience. As other reviewers have noted, though, I felt the plot only really hit its stride at the end, and I wish the pacing of events had been more even. ( )

I really enjoyed this book, though I have to admit the cover almost stopped me from reading it (and I usually like illustrated covers!). The world building is thorough and well presented, the characters well rounded, and though the plot is slowly paced it kept my attention throughout. The depiction of slavery is well judged, dark enough to be realistic without sliding into melodrama; the characters' decisions and assumptions make sense. I hope there is a sequel, since it seems there is a lot of story yet to be told. ( )

This novel is about a brutal, planet-wide system of slavery. It's also about one person's attempt to push back.

Martin Eduardo was taken off his family's merchant spaceship in his mid-teens. He was put into the contract labor system on the planet Julian, where he has spent the other half of his life (perhaps "contract labor" sounds a little less awful than "slave," but it amounts to the same thing). Among the first things a contract laborer, or "cot," learns is Do Not Fight Back. Any attempt at talking back to your contract holder, or trying to stand up for yourself, leads to an automatic beating. Any attempt to run away is complicated by the computer chip implanted in each cot's shoulder bone, which makes tracking easy. It also leads to a very public murder, in front of the other cots. Also, all cots are assumed to be lazy and lying, even when they are telling the truth.

Martin's contract has been sold six times in the past. He has a decent, but very precarious, relationship with Lord Strauss, his seventh Holder. Strauss is a lecturer at the local university, and finds that Martin actually has a brain, and knows how to use it. A number of times, Martin has sat outside classrooms, listening to the lectures. Strauss has Martin run some of his classes, which does not go over well with the other students. Martin is also kept around for other tasks, which take place in the bedroom, and behind closed doors.

A cot rebellion is brewing in the hills, but it's only a little more than rumors. As it begins to gain monentum, Martin has some serious deciding to do. He is very aware of the penalty for disobedience, but the penalty for obedience may be even higher. Does Martin get his chip removed, and join the rebellion?

This is a really good story about an oppressive social system. The author has also left room for a sequel. It will keep the reader interested, and, yes, it is well worth reading. ( )

I found this book to be well written and very interesting! However, it is not in the genre I am used to reading, so I honestly had a hard time staying with it, personally. I find this author to have a promising writing career and wish all of the luck with it. ( )

This was a dark and incredibly disconcerting novel, but at the same time I also found it completely engrossing and quite thought provoking. Martin is a "contract worker" (a slave), who is currently a secretary to Deja, a Lord Holder who works at the University. His "duties" range from the legitimately secretarial to the bedroom, as everyone correctly assumes.

One of the things that impressed me the most about this novel was its exploration of the ways in which ideas justifying slavery permeated this society, warped the thinking of its members, and prevented slave-owners from having any sort of empathy (among other things, a complete lack of imagination!). I was also interested in the even more insidious impact that these ideas had on Martin (e.g., a sense that he was ‘lucky’ because his current owner was kinder than his former owner ... )

It’s not for everyone because of its subject matter, but I found myself caught up in the characters and their world, and pondering many an issue raised by the book long after I’d finished, exactly what I consider a recipe for a good read. ( )