My first fiction review on Submissive Guide is the first book in a wonderful series that I'd highly recommend for any submissive desiring entertainment. Laura Antoniou gives us The Marketplace series and the premier book is titled, surprise surprise, The Marketplace (The Marketplace Series, 1). If you are a newcomer to BDSM or have been in it your entire adult life, these books still bring desire and passion to the slave's life.

In this book, we are introduced not only to how the Marketplace works for slavery but the training aspects as well. We meet the lead character, Chris Parker, an enigmatic fellow and majordomo at a training house in upstate New York. Laura takes us through the training of four applicants; Claudia who is there for retraining, Robert, a confused sissy maid, Brian a leather contest winner and Sharon a complete novice sex slave with an attitude. They struggle to overcome their pride, selfishness, immaturity, and perfectionism.

There is a lot of wonderful character development and the mysterious Chris Parker remains mysterious all throughout. Definitely, a character you want to keep following (and thankfully you do in future books). Each of the applicants has different struggles and training courses that I found myself many times feeling compassionate for one character and then another.

If there really was a real slave market, this is exactly how I would like to envision it. It's a very well organized, thought out the world where the magic of slavery and the 'reality' of it all play together; but not always nicely.  Laura doesn't forget the 'soft' world of BDSM groups, leather clubs, and regional events, but it is considered well below the class and seriousness the people of the Marketplace take their trade.

My favorite part is the slave auction where once trained the four applicants to kneel on pedestals awaiting their purchase. It's tense and exciting, and so full of happiness when owners come in and claim their property. Just lovely.

An interesting development is that I had this urge to improve my own submission as I read about their struggles, even though I know this is complete fiction. I'm sure I'm not the only one, as all over the internet people are 'developing' training programs based on the books. Which I'm not sure I like, but whatever floats your boat, right?

If you are a fan of The Marketplace series you can talk with Laura and get updates for future books in the series (The Inheritor is being written now) in her FetLife Group.

Product Details

  • luna's Rating: 10!!!
  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Mystic Rose Books; 2nd edition (October 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0964596040
  • ISBN-13: 978-0964596047
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches

Currently unavailable (out of print) at Amazon.com, may I suggest the following resources:

www.abebooks.com www.alibris.com www.bookfinder.com www.half.com

www.circlet.com