"Kerick "the Grim Reaper" Riley and his two friends, Elijah "The Slayer" Carter and Xavier "Romeo" O'Connor had just managed to do the impossible - escape from the impenetrable Kong Penal Colony. The three fugitives were incarcerated for rebelling against the Hierarchy and killing those who had harmed the people they loved. In the year 2249 in the region of Altun Ha (former Belize), part of the United Americas of Earth, life is very grim for any but the few very wealthy males who control every aspect of life. Scientists had played God by manipulating genes to breed more males, but, after a short period of time, the scientists lost control and there soon was an extreme shortage of females in the population. Women were quickly relegated to the status of a type of slavery. They were taken at 16 and auctioned off to the highest bidder in the marriage market where men who had saved their whole lives tried to buy a wife to have a real woman to make love to instead of the robots that most men were forced to use. Because women were so expensive, it was even common for one family - father, sons, uncles, etc. to share one wife.
Scientist Nellie Kan was an exception to the status quo. She had refused to get married because she knew that she was a gifted scientist. She was so close to developing the serum to cure the sub-humans disease - a viral infection that turned rational human beings into rabid, flesh-eating monsters. Because Nellie was unclaimed, any man could fondle her breasts and her old mentor could bring her to climax in public, inviting associates to help him. Nellie was used to it, but it still rankled her that she was not taken seriously. But then a strange, grim looking man started following her. Before Nellie knew it, she was kidnapped and in some system of caves with this strange man (Kerick) who said to call him Master...
This book is super short at only a little over a hundred pages and ends very abruptly with the second book beginning just as abruptly. What the Death Row series really is is one book that the publisher/author split into three to make 3 or 4 times the amount of money than they usually would. This world is pretty hot, but very, very sexist with the women walking around naked or nearly so. If they are claimed they wear nipple chains to signify to other men that they are taken and not to be touched. The women really are slaves, bought and sold because they are rare. They have no rights once they are claimed and have to do everything to please the men in their lives. I found quite a few aspects of the world repulsive and would think that someone as strong willed as Nellie would rebel more against most of these societal dictates, but she seems to take it as part of life and not really try to do anything to change it. This book costs so much money (although it is a few dollars cheaper in e-book format) that it just isn't worth it. Go read a book by Dara Joy or C.J. Barry or someone who actually writes a book for the cost of a book.
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Debbie, Resident Scholar
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