Review: Chief

Chief by Lesli Richardson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Capping off this trilogy, it ends with a darker tone. This is expected as it has been hinted several times in the first two books about Carter's past. This book should not be read as a standalone. Read the first two books in the trilogy in the order it was written. This book focuses on Carter and how he became the Bastard Extraordinaire.

Full disclosure, as a switch with more sub leanings, Carter as a dominant hits all my buttons. I may have a bit of favourable bias towards this book because of Carter and what he represents. Carter is a man who wants his cake and eat it too. He loves Owen and yet he marries Susa who Owen is in love with. For those who are unused to poly, this may sound incredibly selfish and cruel. For those who are versed in triads and power exchange... this is a relationship made in heaven and blessed by Dionysus. When it comes to writing dominants, Ms. Richardson is one of my favourites. She is so good at getting down their power and their flaws. Her dominants are human who make mistakes and own up to it. Her dominants are manipulative in a good way. Carter may come across as an antihero but he really isn't. He's a delicious deviant who is knows himself and is true to himself.

For those who have mastered themselves, it is sexy and their confidence attracts others. To top it off, Carter loves to take care of people. His caring for Susa and Owen is so alluring because he also tends to stay in the background. He leaves the limelight so to speak for the two political power houses. He's the king and queen maker. I like this role and Carter plays it so well.

The darker aspect of this story is revealing how Carter first started into the lifestyle. The lifestyle is like anything else, there are good and bad people in it. Unfortunately for Carter, he's experienced the bad and it was worst than I thought. I'm sickened by what he's experience and I'm impressed he pulled himself out of it. The guilt of who he left behind would have probably crippled me. But what can a young person all alone do? It isn't easy. As the saying goes, "Hindsight is 20/20".

Learning about Carter's past helps Susa and Owen pull closer to him and understand him better. This is a lovely ending to this trilogy. Luckily, this is not the last we see of this power triad. They do make appearances in a spin off trilogy. Ms. Richardson continues to build this world with other power triads. This kinky erotica is recommended to menage readers who enjoy a bit of darkness to their romance.