ANCHORED is not a love story.It's not even a like story, really.What it is is a GREAT story.This book is set in an alternate universe where slavery is legal worldwide. It is otherwise set in contemporary NYC.Daniel is a slave. He's also a celebrity news anchor. His network bought him at age 11 and he's been a faithful slave, reporting the news for NewWorld Media for years now. Unfortunately NewWorld is struggling financially and they've decided to lease out some of their commerical properties--like Daniel--to buyers overnight and on weekends. Daniel's being prostituted out for an annual rental to one buyer, at 6 million dollars. And, he's terrified.See, slaves like Daniel are communally housed, but not allowed any physical relationships. His only experience with sex was being raped by men as a child. He had a clandestine "lover" with whom he shared a few trysts, but no penetrative sex. And, Daniel's worst fears are realized when he enters his new master's home--he's been leased to a man. Okay, it gets worse: the man who is now his master, Carl, is a talk show host on a competitor network. Yikes.Carl has longed for Daniel for years. Aroused by Daniel's physical beauty, and his intellectual persona on TV, Carl expected a partner to share his empty nights with witty repartee and mutual passion. Daniel isn't sure what to do--he's essentially a virgin, and can't read Carl's mixed signals.If Carl ordered Daniel to have sex with him, Daniel would have submitted, but Carl never does that. No, he treats Daniel like a Freeman, which only confuses Daniel more. Carl wants a willing partner, and Daniel is unwilling. It, honestly, is a complete failure to communicate, but the end result is Daniel receiving "training" in his new role as a pleasure slave that is unconscionable to Carl, Daniel and the reader.Okay, so I'm gonna say, this is the only time I've read a rape and felt so incredibly visceral about it. The absolute clinical and violent manner in which Daniel was coerced into sex was so distressing and so riveting. I kept hoping against hope that someone would step in, that Daniel would not be harmed. It was frightening, and yet I could only see the story unfolding in this way.Daniel's plight called to the fore the political injustice of this fictional world--and gave context in the inequality of our actual world. So many millions of people are either legally (fictional) or financially (real world) subservient that the choice to engage--or not to engage--in sexual relations is not always within one's power. It was a harrowing, honest, and enlightening experience for me. Other reviews highlight this as well.Carl is a terrible master, not because he is violent or coercive--because he is weak. He has no interest in ordering around a slave; he really doesn't like being a slave owner. His two other slaves are virtually autonomous, with Carl having no desire to reprimand them--not that they act out. In fact, Daniel doesn't act out--he just isn't sexually interested and refuses to please if he isn't ordered. Well, at least until he's "trained". After surviving that experience he's ready to serve Carl as often as possible, in whatever way necessary, to prevent any further training.Carl learns the consequences for his folly in renting Daniel, and makes amends in the best way that he can. He is a truly good man, and didn't understand how his disatisfaction with Daniel would manifest as torture.I was particularly touched when Daniel reflects on the difference in emotional attitudes between slaves and Freemen. A Freeman, like Carl, can have/give love to Daniel--because he has autonomy.On the other hand, Daniel could have respect, or even affection, for Carl, but he didn't feel free to love him. The power imbalance was too great to have equal footing in something so visceral as love. Daniel appreciates that he always faces the risk of being sold to someone else, so he guards his love carefully to ensure he's not emotionally damaged by what amounts to a commercial transaction.It was a very powerful commentary, and one I probably didn't even fully appreciate--regardless of how moved I felt by it. There are some tender moments in this book, but it isn't a tender tale. As I said, it's not a love story. I was glad to see that Daniel was satisfied in the end. That he was safe and protected. This book will stay with me long after I expect. I received a review copy via NetGalley. This is one of my favourite books, yet I find it hard to define. I've put it on the 'light' shelf, but the subject matter, the background premise to the story, is that this tv anchorman is a corporate owned slave. He may be a familiar face and voice to millions of viewers, yet he still has no say in the direction his life takes. Also, he has little or no say in his responses to certain trigger situations. (He is, after all, human.) That translates as bad news.With the tv company having to sweat its assets Daniel finds that as well as the day job (which he is good at and dedicated to) he is being loaned out at night to a rival presenter, someone who is paying to have him share his bed, and worse, who is expecting to share an intelligent, cooperative relationship with his ratings rival. Used to brutal punishments for misdemeanors, nervous about his role as a companion, Daniel thinks he could have coped with being fucked and forgotten, but to react to kindness with enthusiasm is beyond his emotional ability. Carl, the freeman who's paid for his services, doesn't understand Daniel's reticence either. There's a slow train crash happening here, what will it take to sort the impending disaster out?This is one of those books where you find yourself silently shouting at the characters, saying 'talk to each other why don't you? What is it with you men?' Well, with this scenario Daniel can't just talk to Carl. I guess that partly the point.
What do You think about Anchored (2011)?
Well-written but too intense for me and I would've liked more than a HFN after all that misery.
—Birch
Intense, but it's after 2 a.m., so review will have to wait until sleep happens.
—rhea
it's just so-so.. I don't find anything thrilling from this book
—Alucard
