The Marketplace by Laura Antoniou

The Marketplace by Laura Antoniou focuses on four people (two male, and two female) who are being trained to be bought at a place called the marketplace. The marketplace is where slaves can be bought and sold depending upon what the owners are looking for. The better trained the more money the trainers can make.

Laura Antoniou's modern classic of BDSM-themed fiction returns to print. 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.

The Marketplace is a secret society to train the perfect slaves. After the slaves are trained they are put on sale for Masters/Mistress, who do not wish to fully train a slave, to buy. Each of the characters in The Marketplace are different and are being trained to their needs. Robert is shy and has low self-esteem while Brian is a bit full of himself. Sharon is a sexy woman who is used to having any man she wants, and Claudia used to serve Mistress Madeline (one of the trainers at The Marketplace) but is sent there to improve and learn new skills.

I think that The Marketplace is a well written book. I enjoyed reading how the people are used and trained by the Master/Mistress of the house. I loved reading about the changes that each goes through hoping to make the most money when and if they are sold at The Marketplace.

There were a few things that I didn’t like. Generally, I like BDSM stories, but I am not a fan of M/M. Some people won’t mind this but I would have preferred The Marketplace without the M/M scenes. I would have preferred to hear about each slave at the beginning, where they came from, what they liked/disliked and how they got into BDSM. Compared to having it spaced out through The Marketplace.

Overall I enjoyed reading The Marketplace. One aspect I enjoyed the most was the psychological and physical changes in the slaves as they became what they wanted. The Marketplace is a good BDSM novel for erotic readers who want a better look into the lifestyle and don’t mind M/M scenes.