Book #28 of 2014: The Flesh Cartel

[thistlechaser]

The Flesh Cartel, "books" 10-16 by Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau
Rating: 2/disliked (1-5/hated-loved)



Before I can talk about the plot or anything else, I have to first address an issue I brought up in my review of the first eight "books" in the series: These "books" are something of a scam. They're about 50-70 pages long each, with more than 20 pages of filler (a multipage "about the author" for each of the two authors, multipage "don't pirate this" warning, multipage sections for review of what happened in each previous books and coming books, etc). So for 30-50 pages of story, you're paying $3.

That not bad enough? As of this post, there are 17 books in this series out. So if you were to buy every one, for about 675 pages of story, you're going to spend $51 (and the series isn't even finished yet).

Stephen King's The Stand has 1,153 pages and sells for $5. A more modern example? His Under the Dome has 897 pages and sells for $8.

Scammy McScam Scam, Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau?

Okay, I know it's not really a scam, they don't hide the price or the page count, but still. Their pricing scheme is wrong and unfair. I'm sorry to say that I did buy the first three or four books, but the rest I won't read unless I borrow them from someone else. I already gave the authors $9 or $12, so I feel more than covered on payment.

Anyway. The first eleven or so books in the series are basically PWP (Porn, What Plot?). Two brothers get kidnapped by modern day slavers and we see the whole slavery system through their experiences. That sounds more plotty then it is -- there was just enough framework of a story to justify all the adult stuff.

Around book twelve, everything changed. There was a whole book with nearly no sex. As much as I like plot over porn, this wasn't a good shift as the plot was not believable at all. The whole story took a left turn, one of the brothers escaped and met two ~dreamy~ people from the FBI who decided to take down the cartel because the male ~dreamy~ agent was in love with the escaped brother.

The following books, thirteen through sixteen, were all plot about planning to destroy the slavery ring. Next to no sex, and totally unbelievable plot. It felt like a bait and switch -- PWP to gen (fanfic written for general audiences) with no warning.

Worse than the plot being bad, I was annoyed that all the characters we knew were now getting their lives ruined. Some innocent ones (men who had been slaves for nearly their whole lives and were now up there in years and didn't want something else), some not so innocent (the main character slave trainer, though he was still a good guy, as much as that profession allowed.). I guess we were supposed to be happy to see them get their comeuppance, but we had spent all these books getting to know them, so I was more annoyed than anything else to see what would happen to them.

All that being said, I'll read the rest of the books once they're released, but only when I can borrow them from someone else. I'd bet money that I know how the story will end (the brother and the ~dreamy~ FBI agent are going to end up together, even though an evil slaver forced the FBI guy to rape the brother), but I want to see if I'm right and I want to see what will happen to the good guy slaver and non-main character slaves.

Comments

[randomposting.livejournal.com]

Oof. These sound like a train wreck. Fanfiction-net definitely has some more believable plot lines! lol

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It reads like fanfic, too. Well-edited (for fanfic), but still. That's part of why the pricing galls so much -- you can find tons of this same stuff for free. I suppose one could say good for them for making money on it, but on the other hand, if they would just be fair about their pricing, I'd be happier about supporting them. Most self-published ebooks cost $1 to $3, a high of $10 for a whole book! Not a "book" of 30-50 pages.

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I would just be annoyed at the blatant lack of research regarding the Bu.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Bu? If you mean the FBI, yeah. First off, in the book it's packed with the most beautiful people in the world -- they have no trouble finding a dozen or so agents who would put runway models to shame. Second, they ... well, I can't even narrow down a second, nothing about how they acted seemed realistic at all.

The point of this series was the kinky sex. Take that away and you're left with just plain old boring bad story.

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

To be fair, it is common knowledge that part of the physical fitness test for ALL branches of law enforcement is "can you shake your little tush on the catwalk."

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Haha! I SO need to get a traffic ticket now.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
"Yes, to show me your ass! Shake it, baby, shake it for me!"

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

I shall picture this occurring in NCIS: LA with Chris O'Donnell, and I will be happy all day.

Also I am imagining after you say this, like suddenly the police car transforms into a secret catwalk and there on the roadside there is a full-on show of dudes modeling like, police thongs with sirens on them.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

police thongs with sirens on them

Why isn't that a thing? Why isn't that standard issue for all police officers?

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

HOW DO YOU KNOW IT ISN'T HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A POLICE OFFICER NAKED?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I spent an embarrassing amount of time google image searching it! I found nothing even close (but a whole lot of naked manbits, police and otherwise!).

[twissie.livejournal.com]

Hahaha what the what. The title alone! I guess this is a case of "it's so bad it's entertaining"?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

The authors were pretty good with sex and characterization, but in these last few books there's none of that and just their weakest element: plot. I think I skimmed one whole book!