Gilded Cages

Gilded Cages Series, Book 1

By: R. Phoenix

Narrated by: Zachary Zaba

Length: 6 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

"All I want is a puppy for my baby boy. That's all. Just a good puppy for my boy. The better you behave, the happier you'll be."

When Cammy's Daddy asked him if he wanted a puppy, he expected the fluffy, four-legged kind. Instead, he finds that his Daddy meant something else entirely, and he isn't sure what to think of the new addition to the household.

Zay's life might not have been perfect, but it was still better than being kidnapped and sold. When his new master tells him he's going to be Cammy's puppy, he has to decide just what he's going to do.

Please note: Gilded Cages is a dark book. It contains themes that may be offensive or triggering to some listeners.

©2019 R. Phoenix (P)2020 R. Phoenix

so messed up but so good!

I couldn't stop listening to this. I was sucked in from the beginning. Super dark and twisted in the best way. "You could learn to be happy here like I did. "

Satifiying

im going to preface this byvsaying their is extreme non-con an Stockholm syndrome. There also littlw play and puppy play. If this doesn't appeal to you then this book isn't for you

Anyway this story was...I don't even know how to put it but it was beautifully twisted. I don't want to give too much away, but R managed to make the relationships almost poetic all while still making it blatantly clear how unhealthy all of this was. she is still the inly aythor I found thay makes Little play appealing for me. This shit was hot plain and simple.

The best part was it the story still ended with me trying to wrap my head around what I iust read, the fact that I liked it, and whether R gave me Stockholm from just reading it lmao. That alone makes this book worth reading. I love ending a story wanting more on top of a wow moment. I listened to this in one sitting just like with her other books I've listened to.

The only negative would be the white room syndrome but the story was so good I didn't even care. That says alot.

the narrator has a beautiful voice. I loved listening to him and want to find other books hes done. I also want him to narrate one of my books in the future.

Even better as an audio!

Okay, let me just say that I loved this so much! I loved the book, and the audio just takes it to a whole other level! The narrator dude was perfect; Cammy, Zay, and Daddy sounded exactly how I imagined them! I can't wait for Tarnished Cages to be released as an audio! For now, though, I'm going to read the book, because you freaking HAVE to read Tarnished Cages afterwards; you literally can't go on without the rest of the story! Thank you SO much, R. Phoenix, for creating this story and these characters!

Amazing listen.

Now this is a dark and twisted story but I love it! R. Phoenix always brings on such an amazing storyline and this is exactly what I got. I just got pull right into Daddy, Cammy and Zay's story. Then Zachary Zaba does such an amazing job with this narration. He definitely brings this story to life.

I Loved It

I loved this book, it reminded me of a famous classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde with a dark contemporary spin on it. The story was captivating and I listened to the entire book in one sitting unable to put it down. Every character is interesting, different and plays vital part in their twisted little relationship. I loved Zay, his inner struggle to deal with his depression on top of the situation he found himself in was fascinating to follow. Narrator did a good job with the voices and the story. I felt he talked too fast in several scenes, but it did not distract me from the story and did not impact my enjoyment. Overall this was a great listening experience and I recommend it for readers who enjoy dark romance as much as I do.

Ominously delicious...

When I write a review, I usually wait until I’ve finished the book before getting started on the reviewing process. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t the case for R. Phoenix’s audiobook, Gilded Cages. Despite not being a big fan of Zachary Zaba, I was enthralled by the story he was telling me. I enjoyed Zachary’s narrative for Guilded Cages. The characters and plot of the prose were so thought-provoking I had to start scribbling my thoughts down to retain initial reactions.

There are three main characters that this book focuses on; Daddy/Master, Camden/Cammy, and Isaiah/Zay. They are all extremely different from one another personality-wise which was refreshing for me. I like being able to distinguish between the characters easily no matter whose point of view I’m experiencing the story through. I don’t normally write my review focusing on the characters, but I thought I would for this book because the plot is so character-driven.

Daddy, who despite saying he isn’t a sadist, comes across as one remorseless, controlling individual. He’s what people refer to as a phycological sadist. The way he treats Cammy and Zay differently is very intriguing. It’s almost as if he’s two different people, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a complete Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde change when dealing with them both separately. While interacting with Cammy, Daddy is such a sweet caregiver as long as Cammy’s a good boy. He seems to genuinely love his Little, wanting him to be healthy and happy. Master, on the other hand, is callous toward Zay. Master knowns that Zay is a strong person both physically and mentally, so he dives into training the new puppy with a firm hand.

Sweet, sweet Cammy was a character my heart hurt for. I liked him from the moment he appeared in the book. It was easy to see that he was innocent and naive when it came to his Daddy. There were things Cammy didn’t really like, things his Daddy expected him to do, yet he did them to make Daddy happy. He’d been abused by his parents before Daddy brought him home to live a new life as a Little. Cammy resisted the expectations of his Daddy when the older man wanted him to behave like a baby, but succumbed to the pressure of being what was demanded. Despite being happy enough with his life, Cammy felt lonely during the day while Daddy worked. So, his Daddy offered to get him a Puppy to play with while he was away. Little did he know, Daddy wasn’t talking about the furry, four-legged kind.

Zay was the one character I really, really connected with. His narrative of the story was heartbreaking to witness. He went through so much emotionally and psychologically thanks to Master. After being brought to Master and Cammy I could feel his determination to overcome his predicament and get free. It was heartbreaking to see his spirit slowly dimming, to watch that fighting fire slowly burn out until he’s pretty much a shell of what he once was. He feels for Cammy, fully understanding that the boy went from one type of abuse to another, yet he couldn’t do anything about it. Master made him powerless until, he too, bent to the will of the sadistic man who said he just wants them both happy. It was hard seeing the shift in Zay from start to finish, but that only made him mean more to me in the end.

My brain was a confused mess while listening to this book but in a good way. There were times I was able to slip into the story and feel as if things weren’t so terrible for Cammy and Zay. Then, out of nowhere, something would happen that made me ask myself what the hell was I thinking to feel like their treatment was okay? It made it so easy to sympathize with Zay who felt so much pleasure and shame from what he endured. It also made the desire to protect Cammy from the big bads of the world a natural reaction for me. Yet, my mind halted my protests by asking, would Zay or Cammy have suffered more if Daddy/Master hadn’t stepped in? Cammy was an abused boy of eighteen who didn’t know any better. Zay was a depressed man with student loans to pay off and heaps of debt. If Daddy hadn’t stepped in, Cammy would have continued to suffer the abuse. If Master hadn’t bought Zay from whoever had kidnapped him, he could have been sold to someone much worse. It begs the question, does that make their treatment acceptable, or does it make it that much worse?

Honestly, I thought this book was darkly fantastic. It held my interest from start to finish, even when things happened that would normally squick me out. One complaint I do have is that the book seems to end too abruptly for me. I would love to have seen a little more in the way of Zay submitting completely to Master. It left off with me wondering just how much of the original Zay was still left within the man. Was he going to give in to this man and his boy completely? Was he still biding his time? I need to know!

I’d recommend this book to anyone familiar with R. Phoenix. She has a particularly dark way of writing books that makes you question everything you’re reading. It plays with you psychologically, touches on topics that can be triggering to some, and leaves you asking questions about your thoughts on morality. I would also recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with a grimmer plot. This isn’t a fluffy love story with a typical HEA.

The last thing I’ll say is that this book does deserve a warning that there are triggers to consider before reading. In this book, you’ll find age play, ABDL, puppy play, Stockholm Syndrome, kidnapping, enemas, humiliation, dubcon, noncon, BDSM, power play. If things like this give you that squicked out feeling or might trigger you, I’d say this isn’t your cuppa tea.