The Marketplace: Book One of the Marketplace Series

By: Laura Antoniou

Narrated by: Elizabeth Jasicki

Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Laura Antoniou's modern classic of BDSM-themed fiction returns. In The Marketplace, the first book of the series, follow the trials and tribulations of four aspiring slaves as they undergo training hoping to be accepted into the secret underground society of masters and slaves known as the Marketplace. Under the firm hand of Grendel, the sharp eye of Alexandra, and the painful leather strap in the hands of Chris, these men and women will find some of their hardest challenges come from within themselves. They embark on a sensual and erotic journey, and yet nothing is quite as they expect in their quest to serve.

©1993 Laura Antoniou (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

It was ok

Is there anything you would change about this book?

When I first read the story line I thought this book would be a good listen. It wasnt what I thought it was going to be. I thought there was going to be more to it.

A real eye opener

Any additional comments?

Wow. This was my first read regarding the BDSM lifestyle, except for the Fifty Shades trilogy, which is incredibly tame compared to this. All I can say is, be prepared for NC-17 graphic stuff here. I believe this book was well written, and having listened to it instead of reading it, I didn't get thrown by the glaring grammatical errors that many readers complained about in the print version. The narrator did a spectacular job at consistently nailing the myriad of different characters' voices, which could not have been easy. The one piece I wasn't crazy about was that this setting was somewhere in the United States (I believe), but everyone in the house had British accents. I was willing to overlook this though because, otherwise, the narration was spot on. The only thing that bothered me about this story was simply my lack of understanding as to why any human soul would crave this type of lifestyle. I cannot fathom a desire for abuse, degradation, submission, and the voluntary relinquishing of one's will. I just don't get it. And I don't mean an occasional role playing game; I mean a desire to live a completely submissive life of slavery. The incessant physical pain, shame, and humiliation that these people willingly submit to is completely mind-blowing to me. I'm not sure I would ever be able to understand why any human spirit would be drawn to this. All that being said, whether this happens in real life or not, this author had me believing it was true for these individuals. I tip my hat to her.

just wonderful

lovely in every scene of the word, the voice made me smile one moment and flash with angry the next, just lovely.

The novel isn't bad

What did you like best about The Marketplace: Book One of the Marketplace Series? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the interjection of backstories throughout the book. With the four trainees they each got a chapter to tell how they came to be in the situations that they are in right now. The book changed central characters enough that it was possible to learn a bit and get to know each of the characters (i.e. what they are thinking and feeling) instead of just limited to one person the entire time. Generally I like the one central character point of view in most cases, but the switching between characters worked for this book.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I thought the ending had something of poetic justice. Not to say that Sharon deserved what she got, but seeing as how she entered into the situation for selfish purposes and ended up in a less than optimal housing situation was almost justified. Almost, but not quite. The happy endings were heart warming and all that extra crap. It was a solid ending I think. Mostly positive outcomes for most of the characters but not real epilogue. I would have liked to see an epilogue with how some of the trainees lived in their new situations.

Would you be willing to try another one of Elizabeth Jasicki’s performances?

No. I didn't realize there were any American characters in it until they were described as such. The accents were all the same. I could still tell which character was which because of the tones but they were all essentially from the same country. No matter which character was speaking they all sounded like middle aged British women.

Could you see The Marketplace: Book One of the Marketplace Series being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No. This probably won't be a series that would go over well. It would have to be for a very specific audience if it were made--just like the book. It would need to be on a premium channel and probably come on late at night.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook came with additional stories at the end, which were pretty fantastic. I know at the true end of the novel I was wondering what happened to some of the characters. The shorts afterwards added a pleasant continuation of what happened to Chris and Company when they were on vacation and another situation with Brian and the new trainees. The second story was actually cute and funny at times.

Graphic but Good

My fault for not reading the story summary carefully in advance, so I was surprised by the very graphic sexual content at first. But once past that the story and characters are interesting. Performance is excellent

HHHAAAAAWWWWWTTTTTT

This book was spectacular.. Well written, well read, and hotter than hot. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Audible, do the entire series!

I could not get the whispersync to work on this and that makes me sad, because frankly, I am on my third listen and would have loved to have read it as well.

Chris Parker....I think I love you,Sir.

Delicious!

What did you like best about this story?

I've always enjoyed this series, and I am delighted to hear it with this delicious English accent! It's the perfect sound for this incredibly intriguing story. If you've never really read or listened to anything with a BDSM theme, you should know that this is more than just a kinky story. The characters are compelling, and it's incredibly funny. If all you've ever read is Fifty Shades of Gray, then hey, I have no judgment, but you should really dip your toes in these well-written waters. It's hot, AND smart! And if you are fan of BDSM themed stories, then you don't need to read this review-- you have already read all these books, because these are the best in the genre. But still, you've got to give this a listen-- the narrator's voice adds a truly tasty dimension to this favorite series of mine.

Decent enough erotica

Would you consider the audio edition of The Marketplace: Book One of the Marketplace Series to be better than the print version?

I like audio books over the print nowadays because i just dont have time to curl up with a good book. Thank god this book was higher level of intelligence than 50 Shades but it's kind of a rip off in some place from Anne Rice's work 10 years before this was published.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The accent was a bit distracting since the story is supposed to take place in the US.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

I am continuing with the series just to see how it all plays out but again this is no Beauty Series which was simply genius.

Excellent series READ READ

There are 6 books in this series, start with this one. Wish, oh I wish there was MORE.

great, great book!!

While I appreciate an adult fantasy book this specific genre is not my typical kind of story. That being said this is still a great listen, I was very enthralled with the story, characters and their development. The author created a whole world of very descriptive issues and challenges. like I said not my type of book but it was very well worth every second of it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND for anyone to listen to this book!!