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Birthmarked #1.5
Tortured
"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. This promotional e-book includes this exclusive bridge story, as well as a teaser chapter for Prized, book two in the Birthmarked trilogy, available wherever e-books are sold November 2011.
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
About the author
Caragh M. O'Brien
21 books2,219 followersCaragh M. O'Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS series, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O'Brien earned her BA from Williams College and her MA from Johns Hopkins University. Once a high school English teacher, she resigned to write young adult novels. For more information, visit http://www.caraghobrien.com.
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November 10, 2011Yep. I liked writing this one.
March 14, 2012
It was a choice he had happily made, his life for hers, his freedom for hers. But now she was out there somewhere, battling the wastelands with precious few supplies and a baby to care for. The chances for survival were slim, but his own survival was not so great either. Punished and tortured for his part in Gaia's escape with the records, he was in no position, or fit state, to go after her. But when given the opportunity there was no way he would let it slip through his fingers. He had cared more for her then he realized and he could only hope that he would find her and when he did that she might care for him in return.
Tortured may only be as long as a chapter but the story contained within answers the questions of what happened to those left behind after Gaia left the Enclave, Wharfton, her friends and Leon behind. Having ensured Gaia's escape, watching her leave with her sister, Leon is now, finally, after so much torture free to follow her, that is if she has survived the harshness of the wilderness. As a stepping stone from Birthmarked to Prized it does well to tie up the lose ends. Written from Leon's point of view if offers fresh perspective on what has transpired and what may yet occur. A must read for those reading this series.
Tortured may only be as long as a chapter but the story contained within answers the questions of what happened to those left behind after Gaia left the Enclave, Wharfton, her friends and Leon behind. Having ensured Gaia's escape, watching her leave with her sister, Leon is now, finally, after so much torture free to follow her, that is if she has survived the harshness of the wilderness. As a stepping stone from Birthmarked to Prized it does well to tie up the lose ends. Written from Leon's point of view if offers fresh perspective on what has transpired and what may yet occur. A must read for those reading this series.
March 27, 2017
Good story, but hard to read, about Leon which takes place between Birthmarked and Prized.
February 10, 2012
I found Tortured an interesting read, but it's hard to get much satisfaction out of it because it's over so quickly. Things that took placed in Birthmarked are explained further, but Tortured ends before any action can take place. This novelette-length piece bridges the events between the end of Birthmarked and the beginning of Prized. It's free as an ebook, which was probably a good idea on the publisher's part. Tortured isn't so much a sequel as it is a single chapter, and it would be kind of annoying to have to pay for so little content. Tortured only makes up half of the ebook--the rest is a teaser for Prized and a short story.
Tortured doesn't really add much to the backstory or forward momentum of the plot. I probably could have enjoyed the series just as much without reading Tortured. I wish that O'Brien had just worked this information into Prized. I don't think that it really needed to be a standalone book.
Tortured doesn't really add much to the backstory or forward momentum of the plot. I probably could have enjoyed the series just as much without reading Tortured. I wish that O'Brien had just worked this information into Prized. I don't think that it really needed to be a standalone book.
February 15, 2012
I'm a bit in love with Leon myself, so I can't really stop myself from giving this five stars. Very nice bridge between Birthmarked and Prized.
June 8, 2012
Tortured is a short story set after Birthmarked but before Prized. It is told from Leon's POV. And it is amazing. I loved hearing Leon's thoughts. It isn't very long; only 32 pages. Well, okay, only 16. But still. Those 16 pages are amazing. And I'm so glad this ebook was out there. Becasue Leon was my favorite character in this book series; and I was so excited to read from him. :)
This short story is very sad, though. Because it deals with what happens after Leon got tortured. And it is horrible. And so sad. But I also loved it, becasue it is real. And I loved Leon's thoughts. I wish to know what really happened to his finger, though. So a bit sad we didn't get to know that. But maybe in the third book; Promised. I need Leon to talk about it.
There isn't really much to review in this short story. We get to see Myrna a little. I liked her. She is a great character. Hoping we'll see more of her too. She helps Leon a lot in this book. I also liked Cho. He seemed sweet. And then there is Leon's step mother. Not sure how I feel about her. Hate her for not doing enough about everything happening with Leon. But I also sort of liked her.
Anyway. This is an awesome short story; even though it is really short and mostly sad. But I still adored it; because it is Leon and the only time we have read anything from him. I am just hoping for more. And I cannot wait to read the third book; Promised. I just need more Leon. :) You should read Tortured if you have read Birthmarked/Prized. Because it is worth reading.
This short story is very sad, though. Because it deals with what happens after Leon got tortured. And it is horrible. And so sad. But I also loved it, becasue it is real. And I loved Leon's thoughts. I wish to know what really happened to his finger, though. So a bit sad we didn't get to know that. But maybe in the third book; Promised. I need Leon to talk about it.
There isn't really much to review in this short story. We get to see Myrna a little. I liked her. She is a great character. Hoping we'll see more of her too. She helps Leon a lot in this book. I also liked Cho. He seemed sweet. And then there is Leon's step mother. Not sure how I feel about her. Hate her for not doing enough about everything happening with Leon. But I also sort of liked her.
Anyway. This is an awesome short story; even though it is really short and mostly sad. But I still adored it; because it is Leon and the only time we have read anything from him. I am just hoping for more. And I cannot wait to read the third book; Promised. I just need more Leon. :) You should read Tortured if you have read Birthmarked/Prized. Because it is worth reading.
Want to read
September 8, 2016Free for Kindle right now, along with the titles below! More info and details linked on my blog.
February 2, 2012
Kindle free download 12/8/11.
Why? Why? Why wasn't this included in Prized? It would have made that book so much better.
It could have made a great prologue.
Why? Why? Why wasn't this included in Prized? It would have made that book so much better.
It could have made a great prologue.
July 10, 2012
My Review:
For those of you who have read this series you know who Leon is and how he's wonderfully sweet . For those who have not read this series then I hope this review will peek your interests some.
Tortured is a 32 page novella that tells what happen to Leon right after the ending of Birthmarked. It is a great little book to read before you start Prized. So without going into a whole lot of detail because I don't want to spoil Birthmarked for anyone. I will just tell what I liked about the book. One big thing would be getting to know Leon and her family better. Seeing his life within the story through his eyes and what hardships he endures. This gives the reader a better understanding about Leon and where is stands in the book. It was very heartbreaking to read about his life in Enclave but Leon still remained strong and knew he would risk it all for love!
So within the pages of the short but awe-inspiring novella I feel is the prefect and great addition to read for anyone who has read Birthmarked but had yet to Prized. Tortured is a must read middle short story and a wonderful way to get to know Leon a lot better. (and in my case for more head over heels in love with his character)
For those of you who have read this series you know who Leon is and how he's wonderfully sweet . For those who have not read this series then I hope this review will peek your interests some.
Tortured is a 32 page novella that tells what happen to Leon right after the ending of Birthmarked. It is a great little book to read before you start Prized. So without going into a whole lot of detail because I don't want to spoil Birthmarked for anyone. I will just tell what I liked about the book. One big thing would be getting to know Leon and her family better. Seeing his life within the story through his eyes and what hardships he endures. This gives the reader a better understanding about Leon and where is stands in the book. It was very heartbreaking to read about his life in Enclave but Leon still remained strong and knew he would risk it all for love!
So within the pages of the short but awe-inspiring novella I feel is the prefect and great addition to read for anyone who has read Birthmarked but had yet to Prized. Tortured is a must read middle short story and a wonderful way to get to know Leon a lot better. (and in my case for more head over heels in love with his character)
December 27, 2012
The new thing in YA is doing novellas or short stories to promote upcoming sequels. Unfortunately, some authors use this only for a vehicle for a sneak peak for the sequel instead of using it as a forum to say something new and fresh about the story being told.
Tortured by Caragh O'Brien falls in that category. The story takes place after Birthmarked. We follow Leon as he is healing from torture from his father. We get some discussion of what happens to him and how he plans to get Gaia back. That is the gist of the story.
We already know that this happens and don't need this scene to help us out. But the problem of this novella is that it doesn't really add anything to the story-- it should either give us a new perspective, new twists to the original story, add something new. I feel like it fails on these counts. The sneak peek of Prized is just as long as this story is, and much better than Tortured.
The sad thing is, I had to skim through this short story even though it couldn't have been more than 20 pages long. Overall, adds nothing to the story, and I would not encourage readers of the Birthmarked trilogy to read it.
Tortured by Caragh O'Brien falls in that category. The story takes place after Birthmarked. We follow Leon as he is healing from torture from his father. We get some discussion of what happens to him and how he plans to get Gaia back. That is the gist of the story.
We already know that this happens and don't need this scene to help us out. But the problem of this novella is that it doesn't really add anything to the story-- it should either give us a new perspective, new twists to the original story, add something new. I feel like it fails on these counts. The sneak peek of Prized is just as long as this story is, and much better than Tortured.
The sad thing is, I had to skim through this short story even though it couldn't have been more than 20 pages long. Overall, adds nothing to the story, and I would not encourage readers of the Birthmarked trilogy to read it.
March 13, 2012
COLLASAL DISAPPOINTMENT! This is NOT a book, it's not even a short story or novella. It's a chapter containing a whole 15 pages (Nook version). I was really looking forward to some insight into what happened to Leon and how he might make it back to Gaia. What I got was 15 pages of his assisted escape from the Bastion and nothing else. There is no plot, no development, there is NOTHING! This should have been an Epiologue at the end of the first book but, instead, they market it as its own entity.
At least it was a free download but that doesn't lessen the disappointment of thinking you get to read something with insight from another perspective and then only getting a brief mention of torture, treatment, and an assisted escape. There's not even any action....grrrr!
This was so short, I don't even think I can consider this a legitimate read toward the reading challenge.
At least it was a free download but that doesn't lessen the disappointment of thinking you get to read something with insight from another perspective and then only getting a brief mention of torture, treatment, and an assisted escape. There's not even any action....grrrr!
This was so short, I don't even think I can consider this a legitimate read toward the reading challenge.
December 19, 2011
This VERY small "bridge" book answers what happens to Leon between book 1 and 2. I didn't know about it until after I'd finished book 2 and went back and read it. It was very good writing, just like the other books, and did fill you in on a little of what poor Leon went through. I have to admit I was hoping for more, . So, just so you know, it is very, very short. I'm really surprised they even made cover art for it. That's okay, still looks good. :)
Here is the link to read it free online:
TOR.com
You can also download it to your Nook
Content: Clean language, some flashbacks of violence
Here is the link to read it free online:
TOR.com
You can also download it to your Nook
Content: Clean language, some flashbacks of violence
October 21, 2012
Good little quick look into Leon's days after Birthmarked. It made me want to pick up Prized right away!
I read it on my Kobo, and I'm not sure if it's a glitch or if it was issued that way, but the font was in all capital letters? It was kind of distracting.
But a good, if very short, short story.
I read it on my Kobo, and I'm not sure if it's a glitch or if it was issued that way, but the font was in all capital letters? It was kind of distracting.
But a good, if very short, short story.
February 14, 2014
Aaah pues sí aporta detalles mínimos, pero como todo material extra, termina siendo mucha paja.
Resultó que la mente de mi apreciado León Grey es a penas compleja. Pero es aceptable. O soy re fácil, lo que sea.
Resultó que la mente de mi apreciado León Grey es a penas compleja. Pero es aceptable. O soy re fácil, lo que sea.
December 10, 2011
Kind of pointless, since only one important thing happened the entire time. Thank God when I pre-ordered it I got it for free, since it wasn't worth anything more.
March 27, 2012
this was only one chapter to bridge the 1st and 2nd book
May 11, 2015
Very short but it gave a great glimpses of Leon's intentions, his stubbornness and emotions. Now I'm understanding more about Leon and Gaia's relationship, that's sweet tho.
February 29, 2012
He lives!!!!!!!
February 7, 2016
This review is of the trilogy as a whole as well as per book/short story. Enjoy!
I went into this series expecting the same old drivel we have come to know as YA dystopian fiction, happily I was surprised. The themes in this story are quite on point when we speak about people's rights bridging this topic across gender rights, to parental rights to caste systems. These are the themes that really gripped me. They were extremely well developed, much more so than one would expect in YA fiction.
The first part of the trilogy, we are focused on a patriarchal society with strict caste systems. The elite exist in the Enclave and the serfs exist outside the Wall. The main character is a teen-aged midwife whom according to their society must take the first three babies from the mothers she assists and "advance" them to the Enclave. Do not worry this isn't Soylent Green. They are "advanced" to join the elite families. We see how this theme comes into play when Gaia must "advance" her first baby. This scene was emotional and heart wrenching but almost fell flat for me. As a new mother, you would have to kill me before taking my child. And while the mother was sufficiently upset, I felt like Gaia got away too easily. I suppose that goes to show just how downtrodden these women were.
Personally, I was not very fond of the characters. I found them flat and wanting of a metaphorical burger. The only character who gained any depth was the main character, Gaia. The other characters went through various hardships which increased their interest for me but they just didn't do anything that made them special to me. I presume this was to keep the story focused around Gaia Stone and the issues she becomes aware of. To name a few of the issues that you see in this first book and carried through to the end:
Genetic diversity
Parental rights
Medical care
Societal responsibility
Resource management
Environmentalism
Caste Systems
Government Corruption
Big Brother/Eye in the Sky
While she started out trying to save her parents (like so many stories of this ilk), it becomes about these issues. Her soul purpose I feel is to humanize the issues for us by coming into contact with the various, yet plain characters in situations where these issues rule their lives.
To conclude the first installment of this trilogy, Gaia ends up in the Wasteland on a veritable suicide mission. Do not fret this is not really a spoiler as we all knew this was going to happen. What I really appreciated is that this book can stand alone! The additional books are great but if you found out you didn't really like this trilogy you don't feel like you HAVE to read it to the end. I found it incredibly satisfying.
Tortured picks up where we left off in Birthmarked but from a different point of view, Leon's.I feel like this bridge story was good except that it was exceptionally short. The one thing I really didn't like is that the other promotional material after this story was larger than the story itself! Story-wise, I really did enjoy getting the perspective of Leon. Personally, I feel like we missed out learning more about the Protectorat, his staff and his family. Granted torture is really horrible but I would have liked to see if his Stepmother/Mother, Genevieve came to him before finally helping him. Whether his siblings ever tried to help. I also eventually would love to see more from Myrna Silk. She has such potential to be an amazing character. Overall, very enjoyable and currently available for free on Amazon!
In the second part of this trilogy, Prized, leads us into a matriarchal society! I was really excited about this because so often we hear of patriarchal societies in fiction going bad it was interesting to see the flip side. There are many parallels to the society of the Enclave, probably because that is our judgement point. Just like in the first story we have a leader that is out of control. Gaia, of course, can't help herself and blows up their society through her lack of integration. This is a double edged sword as far as I am concerned because it is through her lack of respecting their society she causes many incidents. While many of these incidents were good in that they had to happen for the story not only to progress but also to discuss the various issues, they didn't have to happen that way. If she had even a slight respect for the new society, she would have been less careless, and caused less harm. This book in particular shows how while most YA fiction has a coming of age story, this one doesn't. Although Gaia does become older and goes on to take on responsible roles. I do not feel as if she has really grown. It's more of a by accident or happen stance that she progresses at all. There are a few exceptions to this thought, such as the baby she saves in the first book, but there aren't many. There are many more parts of this story that show she is the same from beginning to end, such as her interactions with Leon and her other beaus.
The second bridge story really brings the romance in this trilogy to the front. I loved how Leon came to love Gaia in a more complete adult way. However this also shows Gaia's immaturity when you view her actions in their relationship. I feel like her most adult action in their relationship is to not agree to marry him right away. She shows she isn't ready over and over again. This story though shows that Leon definitely is getting there. This story was much more enjoyable than the other bridge story. However this one has the same problem, the promotional materials are longer than the story. I like this story more for the fact that it feels more complete.
To conclude this trilogy we have the matriarchal society joining the patriarchal society which are both dying out from lack of genetic diversity. For the patriarchal society, this is due to the age old problem of the pigs being more equal than the other farm animals (See Animal Farm). The Enclave sees themselves as high above those outside the wall and backed themselves into a genetic oubliette. Their answer is to increase the children coming in from outside the Wall. For the matriarchal society, this comes from environmental contamination and strict social roles that require "perfect" families. They backed themselves into dying out through fear of change and the accepting that they were just going to die out. After many, many more confrontations and conflicts they do merge as a complete society and our enemies get their comeuppance which is great. There was one particularly dreadful part of this book just before the end that will haunt me forever. As you get to the end you will immediately know to that which I speak. For the person going into reading this, be prepared and don't eat anything while reading the very end. I frequently had to put the book down to deal with my own reaction. Once that scene was over we finally get our happily ever after/beginning.
Overall this story gains a four rating not for its characters, but for its story telling and gripping themes. The style, themes, and feel remind me directly of The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood. In fact, I would treat this trilogy as a companion to Ms. Atwood's book as many of the themes were similar in both. I found that this trilogy focused on so many issues in complex ways was fantastic, but I fear I am noticing a new trend in YA fiction. I fear YA fiction may be moving away from dense multi-dimensional characters with great plots and themes to a series of transparent characters that are disposable stand-ins for displaying themes and opening a discussion of issues. The lack of depth in the characters really made the last book of this trilogy a struggle to complete. Not because it wasn't good, it just wasn't emotionally rich enough to keep me wanting more. Even that scene to which I spoke, wasn't as emotional for the character as I feel it should have been. Looking back, I can say that I certainly felt enough for both the character and myself for that scene! All together this trilogy is definitely worth reading and even more so if you are part of a book club or have an interest in human rights. These themes will give you ideas and you will want to talk/debate them out. Happy reading!
Read more reviews at http://flyingofftheshelves.blogspot.com
I went into this series expecting the same old drivel we have come to know as YA dystopian fiction, happily I was surprised. The themes in this story are quite on point when we speak about people's rights bridging this topic across gender rights, to parental rights to caste systems. These are the themes that really gripped me. They were extremely well developed, much more so than one would expect in YA fiction.
The first part of the trilogy, we are focused on a patriarchal society with strict caste systems. The elite exist in the Enclave and the serfs exist outside the Wall. The main character is a teen-aged midwife whom according to their society must take the first three babies from the mothers she assists and "advance" them to the Enclave. Do not worry this isn't Soylent Green. They are "advanced" to join the elite families. We see how this theme comes into play when Gaia must "advance" her first baby. This scene was emotional and heart wrenching but almost fell flat for me. As a new mother, you would have to kill me before taking my child. And while the mother was sufficiently upset, I felt like Gaia got away too easily. I suppose that goes to show just how downtrodden these women were.
Personally, I was not very fond of the characters. I found them flat and wanting of a metaphorical burger. The only character who gained any depth was the main character, Gaia. The other characters went through various hardships which increased their interest for me but they just didn't do anything that made them special to me. I presume this was to keep the story focused around Gaia Stone and the issues she becomes aware of. To name a few of the issues that you see in this first book and carried through to the end:
Genetic diversity
Parental rights
Medical care
Societal responsibility
Resource management
Environmentalism
Caste Systems
Government Corruption
Big Brother/Eye in the Sky
While she started out trying to save her parents (like so many stories of this ilk), it becomes about these issues. Her soul purpose I feel is to humanize the issues for us by coming into contact with the various, yet plain characters in situations where these issues rule their lives.
To conclude the first installment of this trilogy, Gaia ends up in the Wasteland on a veritable suicide mission. Do not fret this is not really a spoiler as we all knew this was going to happen. What I really appreciated is that this book can stand alone! The additional books are great but if you found out you didn't really like this trilogy you don't feel like you HAVE to read it to the end. I found it incredibly satisfying.
Tortured picks up where we left off in Birthmarked but from a different point of view, Leon's.I feel like this bridge story was good except that it was exceptionally short. The one thing I really didn't like is that the other promotional material after this story was larger than the story itself! Story-wise, I really did enjoy getting the perspective of Leon. Personally, I feel like we missed out learning more about the Protectorat, his staff and his family. Granted torture is really horrible but I would have liked to see if his Stepmother/Mother, Genevieve came to him before finally helping him. Whether his siblings ever tried to help. I also eventually would love to see more from Myrna Silk. She has such potential to be an amazing character. Overall, very enjoyable and currently available for free on Amazon!
In the second part of this trilogy, Prized, leads us into a matriarchal society! I was really excited about this because so often we hear of patriarchal societies in fiction going bad it was interesting to see the flip side. There are many parallels to the society of the Enclave, probably because that is our judgement point. Just like in the first story we have a leader that is out of control. Gaia, of course, can't help herself and blows up their society through her lack of integration. This is a double edged sword as far as I am concerned because it is through her lack of respecting their society she causes many incidents. While many of these incidents were good in that they had to happen for the story not only to progress but also to discuss the various issues, they didn't have to happen that way. If she had even a slight respect for the new society, she would have been less careless, and caused less harm. This book in particular shows how while most YA fiction has a coming of age story, this one doesn't. Although Gaia does become older and goes on to take on responsible roles. I do not feel as if she has really grown. It's more of a by accident or happen stance that she progresses at all. There are a few exceptions to this thought, such as the baby she saves in the first book, but there aren't many. There are many more parts of this story that show she is the same from beginning to end, such as her interactions with Leon and her other beaus.
The second bridge story really brings the romance in this trilogy to the front. I loved how Leon came to love Gaia in a more complete adult way. However this also shows Gaia's immaturity when you view her actions in their relationship. I feel like her most adult action in their relationship is to not agree to marry him right away. She shows she isn't ready over and over again. This story though shows that Leon definitely is getting there. This story was much more enjoyable than the other bridge story. However this one has the same problem, the promotional materials are longer than the story. I like this story more for the fact that it feels more complete.
To conclude this trilogy we have the matriarchal society joining the patriarchal society which are both dying out from lack of genetic diversity. For the patriarchal society, this is due to the age old problem of the pigs being more equal than the other farm animals (See Animal Farm). The Enclave sees themselves as high above those outside the wall and backed themselves into a genetic oubliette. Their answer is to increase the children coming in from outside the Wall. For the matriarchal society, this comes from environmental contamination and strict social roles that require "perfect" families. They backed themselves into dying out through fear of change and the accepting that they were just going to die out. After many, many more confrontations and conflicts they do merge as a complete society and our enemies get their comeuppance which is great. There was one particularly dreadful part of this book just before the end that will haunt me forever. As you get to the end you will immediately know to that which I speak. For the person going into reading this, be prepared and don't eat anything while reading the very end. I frequently had to put the book down to deal with my own reaction. Once that scene was over we finally get our happily ever after/beginning.
Overall this story gains a four rating not for its characters, but for its story telling and gripping themes. The style, themes, and feel remind me directly of The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood. In fact, I would treat this trilogy as a companion to Ms. Atwood's book as many of the themes were similar in both. I found that this trilogy focused on so many issues in complex ways was fantastic, but I fear I am noticing a new trend in YA fiction. I fear YA fiction may be moving away from dense multi-dimensional characters with great plots and themes to a series of transparent characters that are disposable stand-ins for displaying themes and opening a discussion of issues. The lack of depth in the characters really made the last book of this trilogy a struggle to complete. Not because it wasn't good, it just wasn't emotionally rich enough to keep me wanting more. Even that scene to which I spoke, wasn't as emotional for the character as I feel it should have been. Looking back, I can say that I certainly felt enough for both the character and myself for that scene! All together this trilogy is definitely worth reading and even more so if you are part of a book club or have an interest in human rights. These themes will give you ideas and you will want to talk/debate them out. Happy reading!
Read more reviews at http://flyingofftheshelves.blogspot.com
November 6, 2017
The actual story for "Tortured" is extremely short. It gives a little insight into Leon's family dynamic, but I don't believe there will be much missed if you move straight from book 1 to book 2. There is a few chapters of another book by the same author called "Vault of Dreamers." That book/series seems a bit out there for my tastes, and I probably won't read it.
September 19, 2022
2.5
I thought it would cover more. It’s called “Tortured” but it starts after the torture and doesn’t show him crossing the wasteland or getting arrested or spending time in prison. It didn’t introduce anything we didn’t get in the main story. It doesn’t account for how his feelings about Gaia change.
I thought it would cover more. It’s called “Tortured” but it starts after the torture and doesn’t show him crossing the wasteland or getting arrested or spending time in prison. It didn’t introduce anything we didn’t get in the main story. It doesn’t account for how his feelings about Gaia change.
January 18, 2020
It was good but way to short. Nothing happened at all. All you learn is how Leon was patched up and his decision to leave. It would have been way better if it continued and we went through his adventures/search for Gaia with him. Make it a true novella instead of a “bridge story”....
March 20, 2021
Very brief … too brief in fact! I’m glad it was free. It was nice to read about how Leon escaped but it would have been more fulfilling to read about his own time in the wild before reaching the other settlement.
October 9, 2017
Was awesome to be able to see What happened to Leon after saving Gaia. Very short but was a nice read between books.
June 11, 2018
a nice little in between story
June 26, 2019
I enjoy reading about Leon more than Gaia. I hope the 2nd book follows a little more of Leon’s character.
August 21, 2019
a quick novella with the Birthmarked series
June 2, 2020
Well written but...
Most of the story line was stated in "Prized". It is will written but did not add anything to the series.
Most of the story line was stated in "Prized". It is will written but did not add anything to the series.
January 26, 2021
Loved it. Great little addition. Brought some things together.
December 1, 2021
I guess it's nice to see what happened between book 1 & 2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews