REVIEW: 'Punishment' by M.J. Ferguson
Title: Book One Punishment
Series: Depravity
Author: M.J. Ferguson
Published: May 12, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Dark Erotic Romance
Length: 48 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Novelette; BDSM; D/s; Horror; Suspense; Thriller -Psychological ; CW: Abduction; CW: Kink - Heavy; CW: Non-Con.; CW: Sexual Abuse; CW: Torture; CW: Murder; CW: Humiliation; CW: Taboo
BLURB: There is darkness in all of us even if we choose not to acknowledge it or act on it. What happens when a person not only acknowledges their darkness but revels in exploiting it to the fullest? Join me on a journey and explore the many different ways people choose to express their…Depravity. In book one, we find a master who forces his pet to participate in a demonstration for a large audience of other masters. When he’s pushed too far will the master lose his pet? Or will the trust they have built be enough for the pet to accept his Sir’s darkest side. Please note: This short erotic horror story is intended for mature audiences only. This story contains content some readers may find objectionable: explicit sex between men, extreme violence, nonconsensual sex, and murder.
4 HEART READ
REVIEW:
Punishment, book one in M.J. Ferguson's Depravity series is not for everyone. Hell, it might not be for many. Days later I still find myself wondering HOW I read it.
It’s sick, twisted – and yet, wicked!
To set the stage for you it is told from a first person point of view and you need to be on board with the fact that there is minimal attachment: No character names are given, no historical background and very little dialogue. But for me I felt there was a reason for this.
You don't want to have any feeling toward these characters. Trust me! Attachment causes empathy. Who really wants to empathize with two men who are seriously fucked up? And this detachment becomes absolutely necessary in the ending.
Think Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs only more sexually deviant.
I need to be honest here and say that I did almost give up. The first part of the book is rough. It focuses on a “scene” in a private club where the Masters there are almost sadistic, their humiliation borders on abuse to their “pets”, purposefully causing them to fail so they may punish them ruthlessly.
But just as I was pitying these subs and reaching my breaking point Ferguson dropped a bomb that made it impossible to turn away. And then she dropped another. As I continued reading I couldn’t believe I was seriously trudging forward. It was like a train wreck I just couldn’t pull my eyes from. I was FOR REAL sitting in my chair putting my hands over my eyes as I could just see the unimaginable happening and it was……yeah, no other word for it but gruesome.
Gruesome in a way that kept me glued to the pages.
It’s not to say that everything is perfect in the read. Unfortunately I was taken out of the story numerous times due to the use of present and past tense going back and forth within a single sentence or paragraph and there is scattered punctuation missing that caused a hitch in my reading pleasure. For this I am unable to rate a five.
Even with that, Punishment does work for me in its overall arch and story line. And I am certain it did not hurt that it appeals to my other reading pleasure: Thriller/Murder/True Crime. I love that M.J. Ferguson took a risk with the subject matter and, by adding twists to such a short read, she left me feeling perplexed yet wanting more. I want to know who these men are, what drew them to each other, why one would want to stay, and why the other is the way he is.
Punishment is definitely not for the squeamish. It is macabre in its detail and delivery. And it undoubtedly leaves you questioning your sanity. But it is worth it for one mind numbing, and yes – depraved, escape.
A copy of Punishment, Depravity Book One was purchased by Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter so that we could offer our fair and honest opinion.
Don't miss the new installment, Depravity Book Two Voyeur just released July 23, 2016.
M.J. Ferguson
West Virginia native Miachelle J. Ferguson writes as M.J. Ferguson. M.J. developed a love of reading in the first grade and her voracious appetite for great stories and amazing characters has grown. M.J. discovered her love for writing in the sixth grade and honed her short story and poetry skills through college. M.J. writes about complicated people and relationships, intriguing stories and psychological thrillers. She still lives in West Virginia surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers, family and friends. M.J. is a member of a local writing group The Wicked Wordsmiths of the West.
