{Flash Reviews} TORTURED and RULED by Caragh M. O'Brien

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O P E N I N G   H O O K:

"I'M NOT GOING TO FIX HIM UP if the Protectorat is just going to have him worked over again," Myrna said from the doorway of V cell.  "I won't be part of that."

(from TORTURED, a novella inserted for free on pg. 365 of US paperback 1st edition of PRIZED; also available for FREE as an ebook!)

I wouldn't recommend reading TORTURED before you've read BIRTHMARKED, which is the first book in Caragh M. O'Brien's trilogy.  If you haven't read BIRTHMARKED, check out my review here.  You can also enter to win your own copy right now!

TORTURED is a novella, Book 1.5, and features a scene that takes place between BIRTHMARKED and PRIZED.  O'Brien's other novella, RULED, is Book 2.5, and I personally wouldn't read it until at least halfway through the final book in the trilogy, PROMISED.  I started reading it earlier and had an element spoiled that I wished I hadn't seen early!

What I love most about these two novellas is the fact that they're both from Leon's perspective.  In the novels, we only ever get a peek into Gaia's life.  I loved getting into Leon's thoughts and emotions because he keeps them so close to his chest.  TORTURED could have gone either way for me, because I read it after PRIZED and knew most of what was going on, so it didn't hold my interest as much as RULED did.  I thought RULED focused on so much of the dynamic between Leon and Gaia that really shines through and gives you a glimpse at the way Leon perceives it.  It was my favorite of the two. 

There isn't really much I can say about either novella without giving major spoilers away, but I'll mention again that anyone eager for a first-hand account with Leon shouldn't miss either one of these.  Read TORTURED before PRIZED if you can (It's a free ebook and comes at the back of the PRIZED paperback for free as well), and read RULED when you're late into PROMISED or after finishing it!

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C O V E R   D E S I G N:

A lot of publishers, when putting out free or inexpensive ebook novellas that are companions to their published series, spend very little money on the covers.  They often fit in with the series, but don't have a lot of money pumped into their design.  I was incredibly impressed with the fact that RULED has its own unique design!  And it makes so much sense after you've read the novella, too!  I like it a lot, and also appreciate the way it ties into the cover for PROMISED.

 

TORTURED is a mix of the paperback covers for BIRTHMARKED and PRIZED, and I really like the way the two elements from each cover were brought together, showing that TORTURED is Book 1.5 in the series.  So clever!

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O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: TORTURED

RULED

[Macmillan imprints Tor and Roaring Brook Press]

Received: Purchased
&

TORTURED SUMMARY:
 

“But what about Leon?”

Now, in this new story that bridges the gap between BIRTHMARKED and PRIZED, Caragh M. O’Brien answers her readers’ most common question with a tale of suffering and determination from Leon’s perspective. Be warned. The story is a spoiler for the first book in the award-winning trilogy.

RULED SUMMARY:

This short story takes place during the time between the second book in the Birthmarked Trilogy (PRIZED) and the final book (PROMISED) and offers a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of Leon Grey.