Title: The Whore of New Slum
Author: T.A. Chase
Publisher: MLR Press
Length: 119 Pages
Category: Fantasy, Cyberpunk/Steampunk, Alt U, Dystopian
At a Glance: Fascinating dystopian world where the savior is not someone others would consider a hero.
Reviewed By: Jennifer
Blurb: While visiting his dying sister, Wendall meets a man who changes his life, putting into motion plans that have taken years to put into place.
New Slum is the poorest borough in New City, and those who live there are considered the dregs of society. Yet they all have hopes and dreams to be more than what others say they should be.
Wendall works as a sex peddler, trying to survive as best he can in the Slum. One day, while visiting his dying sister, Wendall meets a man who would change his life, and put into motion plans that have taken years to put into place.
Abdur is a prisoner of war, taken during battle between New France and New Britain. His injuries are such that the New Britain military have no problem experimenting on him. All he has to look forward to is more experiments or being used until he has nothing left to give.
Running into each other is a pivotal moment for both men. As they fall in love, they decide to shape the world around them to what they wish it to be, and start making their dreams come true.
Review: Author T.A. Chase always comes up with fascinating stories, and The Whore of New Slum is no different. What I loved most about this book was how different the hero was compared to other books. Most of the time the hero is someone that others aspire to be, or someone put in the spotlight, who shines. With The Whore of New Slum, the hero is just that: a whore. Or, sex peddler in his world. He works behind the scenes to help the people in his city, and I just loved that.
Wendall lives in the worst section of his city/country. Residents are often sick, always poor, and never see the sunlight. When he visits his dying sister, he meets a man who is a prisoner of war and has been experimented on to the point that he is no longer much of a man as he is a machine of some sort.
While the men in the story seem to fall in love quickly, I didn’t mind it. Both men are different from what they have met before. Abdur sees Wendall as a man who does not pull away from his touch. Wendall see Abdur as a man who doesn’t want him just for sex. They are both victims in their countries’ struggles, but they are going to fight back to free themselves and those they love.
The one issue I had with the book was that it was not longer. Major things are put into motion at the end of the book, and I wanted to see the outcome. Revolution is coming. Does it work? We know where Abdur and Wendall end up, but what about everyone else? What happens to the other cities?
While this book is a dystopia reminiscent of some others out there today in the market, what makes this stand apart (aside from the m/m romance and the unconventional heroes) is the steampunk elements. I couldn’t help but think of that as Abdur has parts replaced by gears that whiz and whir as he moves. Loved it!
For fans of dystopias, steampunk, or unconventional heroes, this book is for you. I wish it would have a sequel, and would be thrilled if it did, but it doesn’t appear that there will be one.
Highly recommended!
You can buy The Whore of New Slum here:
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