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Alexandra - named for one of the greatest leaders and commanders of all time - is strong, intelligent, and inordinately inquisitive for a slave, a trait that could easily get her killed. When Alexandra suddenly finds herself separated from her family and packed off to the slave market in Athens, she learns the hard way just how precarious life as a slave really is. Freedom is not something a slave should ever ponder too long, but for Alexandra, she knows there's nothing in the world she could ever want more.
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Alas, freedom was not in her stars. Not yet. But for the moment, she knows there are much worse owners than her new master, Theron. Known throughout Athens as an especially clever and rich man, Theron holds everyone in thrall by the mysterious air about him. And for Alexandra, she cannot help but wonder about his complete absence during the day, or his need for so many servants when duties are so light. Then she notices how slaves are routinely called upon to serve Theron in his bed chamber through the night, and sometimes do not come back.
Alexandra's curiosity would have remained at bay if she did not find her friend Kallius' beaten and bloody body lying prostrate on the ground in the middle of the night. Perhaps if not for him, she could have continued in blissful ignorance for a while longer, her fate patiently held at arm's length. But it's too late now. For Alexandra, there's no going back or forgetting all she's learned. For Alexandra, she's been both blessed and cursed with her greatest desire - freedom.
BONDAGE, the first novella in the DRAGON'S FALL series, is as riveting as it is compelling. Written in first-person narrative from Alexandra's point of view, the reader is easily absorbed into the day-to-day hardships of those born into slavery, the tentative fates each slave bears with resilience and quiet resolve, as well as the fleeting moments of happiness rarely granted to slaves. Mr. Summers' writing style is crisp, with an imperative authority that keeps the reader intently glued to the page. A thoroughly engrossing, fast-paced and laudably well-written read.
Alexandra is an almost too-intriguing heroine - committed to doing her best with her lot in life, unafraid to dream of things unlikely to ever be within her grasp, and blessed with great humanity and an understanding beyond her years. Yes, her intelligence and curiosity are her greatest blessings, but they also prove to be to her greatest detriment. What's more is that her instinct tells her she might want her intellectual gifts to go unnoticed, especially within Theron's household. But that was not to be. Perhaps it is more than mere curiosity urging her downward spiral towards her destiny. Perhaps it is a culmination of the stars in alignment, the magnificence of the Macedonian she's named for, and selective breeding of the strongest slaves that bring Alexandra to fortune's doorstep (or more aptly, bane's doormat). Regardless, Alexandra is an addictive character, and most definitely one the reader is invested enough to see through to the next novella in the series.
Five novellas are expected to compile the DRAGON'S FALL series, beginning in ancient Greece and culminating in 15th century Transylvania. This series is based on Mr. Summers' novel, VAMPIRES OF THE SCARLET ORDER, and I for one, am going to run (not walk) to the book store and find it. Happily obsessed with this series, I am waiting on tenterhooks for the next installment!
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