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

The Best BDSM book you'll ever read/listen

Would you listen to The Marketplace again? Why?

Yes, over and over!!! The scenes are amazing

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's hard to pick, but Jack was my favorite. Dirty man...

What about Elizabeth Jasicki’s performance did you like?

Perfect.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

One word... Unabashed

Any additional comments?

If your into pain and sexxx... enjoy

Very well written and performed!

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

I have not read the print version but I loved the audio and the readers accent was beautiful!

What did you like best about this story?

The author's descriptions and charater development. I felt like I could "see" everything and her descriptions felt so "real". I dislike predicitable stories and this was far from that!! I really enjoyed that I was often wrong in my assumption of what was going to happen or how a certain charater would react.

What does Elizabeth Jasicki bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The way of the English. She just sounded so proper and demure. Her voice sounded like butter and I really enjoyed it! She did such a fantastic job that I added other books she has narrated to my wish list. Good job Elizabeth!!

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

Ohhh yeeesss!

Any additional comments?

This book is not for the faint of heart. This is not a "romantic" story in fact it has much more to offer in the ways of spankings, beatings, and slave training than actual sexual encounters or mind blowing orgasims. It is worth the money and was a good listen if you are open minded to this genre. I wish her other books were available and read by Elizabeth Jasicki.

perfection!

I have been hooked into Laura Antonio's world since this book, The Marketplace. The narrator is English, so imagining Chris Parker with an English accent requires a bit of imagining. do not let that put you off enjoying this book. This is my favorite Audible book.

Meh

This book was just ok for me. The performance of Elizabeth Jasicki was amazing. She performed all characters wonderfully. It was the story itself that was just ok. Part of it were enlightening and parts were captivating. And then there were parts that just didn't hold my attention. It was well written, just not really what I was expecting based on the description. Didn't get into it enough to even contemplate going further in the series. I get off the train at this stop. Laura Antoniou is a very talented writer, this book just didn't do it for me.

Fun Read!

Good character development and it definitely gave some insight to this type of lifestyle. I really enjoyed the narrator as well. Looking forward to the rest of the series.