betty reviewed An Exchange of Hostages by Susan R. Matthews
Review of 'An Exchange of Hostages' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I'm going to be honest: I can't tell if this book is actually that good, or if I just got sucked so far into the Id vortex that I can't even see the event horizon. So please take this entire review with about a tablespoon of salt. I stayed up 'til four reading it, and didn't notice.
So, this is a story about a doctor and, he discovers over the course of the story, a sadist, who is forced by his state into becoming a torturer, and how he deals with that. (There is a certain amount of torture, none of which is remotely safe, sane, or consensual, nor pretends to be. Take ye warning.)
Alternately, it is the Mirrorverse "Dr. McCoy to the interrogation room." (I believe this is TNH's description, and for a certain segment, an entirely adequate elevator pitch.)
It's written decently, and the only time it …
I'm going to be honest: I can't tell if this book is actually that good, or if I just got sucked so far into the Id vortex that I can't even see the event horizon. So please take this entire review with about a tablespoon of salt. I stayed up 'til four reading it, and didn't notice.
So, this is a story about a doctor and, he discovers over the course of the story, a sadist, who is forced by his state into becoming a torturer, and how he deals with that. (There is a certain amount of torture, none of which is remotely safe, sane, or consensual, nor pretends to be. Take ye warning.)
Alternately, it is the Mirrorverse "Dr. McCoy to the interrogation room." (I believe this is TNH's description, and for a certain segment, an entirely adequate elevator pitch.)
It's written decently, and the only time it strayed (for me) into "Oh god, I can see your Id!" was when the author came up with two separate justifications for the protagonist to platonically kiss his armsmen/slaves. But that could be the blinding effects of the Id vortex. I'm pretty sure The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife would be the best illustration for what this book was like for me.
