Review: Reckoning

Reckoning by Fyn Alexander

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



 

Where did my Daddy go? I loved Kael in the first three books in this series. He is a dominant who leans heavily towards the SM side of the house. He is dangerous and a licensed killer. As a wet works operative for MI6, he is a man who had no problems killing a person. He does not ask questions. He is a perfect weapon to use for problem disposal. He also owns a lovely boy, Angel button. Angel is looking to follow Daddy's footsteps because he wants to kill the bad people and be on the side of the good. This book is not a standalone and cannot be read without the first three books.

Here is what I like about this book. Showing how killing someone without knowing the details of the person can be problematic. This makes Kael think about if his killings need to be righteous kills. Because for Kael, he doesn't care about killing the bad guys. He kills because he needs it to function properly. If the person to be killed happens to be a bad guy, all the better. I also enjoy the rosy-coloured glasses ripped off from Angel's face. Angel learns the government cannot be trusted. I like how the relationship turns out between Kael and Stephen. Lastly, I really relish the action scenes with assassinations as well as the backstabbing. These are well set up and executed.

The BDSM in this story puts me ill at ease. It's not the acts themselves. I revel in the cage, humiliation, caning and paddling. What I do not enjoy is the intent. I do not like Kael's headspace when he punishes and tortures Angel and Stephen respectively. He is now a dominant I cannot trust. He crosses boundaries and becomes a dominant gone erratic. When kink threatens a person's livelihood and as a result impacts a person's ability to support their family, it is no longer okay for me. This is the biggest problem for me with Kael in the book. In some ways he is an abuser because he crosses the line and then he makes grandiose gestures to make the abused feel loved. This sets my teeth on edge because previously Kael does not come across this way.

The other piece that drags for me in the book is the interaction with Dr. Reynolds. Granted I'm bias and not overly fond of shrinks. I understand why Dr. Reynolds is in the book as well as why the "therapy" is required for Kael. Personally it goes on too long for me. Kael is a killer. I see nothing wrong with him enjoying his job and also not experiencing remorse for killing. I also see nothing wrong with being physically intimate with someone and then killing them. The book makes such a big deal about it. For a character like Kael, it isn't a problem and trying to force him to think and believe it is a problem rubs me wrong. For characters like Stephen and Angel, sure this is a problem for them and that's fine. Leave Kael out of it.

This book is well written with a cohesive plot. I did not appreciate the characters as much in this one which dampers my enjoyment in the book. This book is recommended for kinky suspense readers who enjoy Daddy kink mixed in with a ruthless killer.



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