Customer Reviews

The Trainer

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This new edition of The Trainer really makes a difference. The story is still about Michael LaGuardia, who wants to become a trainer of slaves under the guidance of the mysterious Anderson. In the old version, I felt like I didn't know enough about Michael and his motives. I also didn't think there was enough sex in the book. There's lots more sex here, especially of the male-dominant, female-submissive type. Plus, Antoniou "fills in the gaps" by giving us more details on the slave training style of Californian Geoff Negel, and she takes us overseas to see what slave training is like in England. (Maybe a precusor to her Fifth Book, the first chapter of which is at the end of Book 4, The Academy? I hope so!) All in all, this reading was much more satisfying -- in fact, it inspired me to go back and read the Academy again, because now I see how closely these books are tied together (pun intended)!

The third installment in the Marketplace series again picks up with Chris Parker, the outwardly disciplined and inwardly tortured trainer. This time, he enters the services of a female Mistress in order to help train a would be dominant, Brian. However, the immature and hasty Brian quickly conflicts with the older, more experienced Chris Parker and is forced to learn about mastering himself before being able to truly master others.

Like other books in this series, the book is well written and interesting. It provides an interesting glimpse into the techniques of training and is one of the few decent BDSM books written from the tops perspective. (For an interesting alternative, see Susan Matthew's Prisoner of Conscience) Still, the Brian character is so intensely irritating and childish, it is difficult to identify the characters in this book, which I believe is absolutely critical in really enjoying this type of fiction. A great series but I liked the first two books better.

The main character here, Michael is a egocentric Californiacated yuppie with a lack of observation of others that is truly remarkable in someone over the age of 16. He has been rated as a trainer by Hegel who runs his training house more like a dating service than anything else and Michaels lack of training eventually leads to Chris' proposal in The Archenemy. It is also our first sight of Anderson another of the series major players. I find Michael's character rather off-putting but this is still a good read. I would give it 3.5 but the system doesn't allow for that.

Unlike some standard erotic fiction these books by Laura Antoniou have plots, humor and good character development with interesting characters.

I couldn't wait to read the 3rd book in the trilogy as I had certainly enjoyed the first two. I was so disappointed I could feel it. Don't get me wrong, it was still way better than the normal s/m crap that is so prolific but Laura spoiled me with her two other works. The character wants to be a trainer of slaves but how he comes across is a royal pain. After so many annoying anectdotes you know that anyone off the street would be better than this guy. The last 20 pages does not make up for all the earlier annoyances of his character. He is stupid, vulgar and not charming in any way shape or form. How are we to believe that of all the applicats Anderson had to choose from he was the best of the lot. What were the other applicants, escaped mental patients. Laura tries your patience with this one.However I did enjoy the flashes of humor which invade her writing and make it so enjoyable and especially as she tied in a scene from her book 'The Slave' to Chris Parker telling his side in this book. It was a nice touch and helped to explain things.I did not like however her constant, coying treatment of tidbits about Chris Parker. She kept hinting she would reveal more about him but other than a couple of things towards the end you are still no wiser about the man.I would assume another trilogy must be in the offing since she put out enough dangling story lines to either drive you crazy to know the rest or bore you to death.So it's ok but the other two are much much better.

Once again, we join the world of The Marketplace. This time, we meet a rather gormless dork called Michael. Michael has delusions of grandeur. He seems to think that being a trainer/dominant involves demanding sex from slaves and not a lot else. He is quickly disillusioned of this fantasy.

Strangely enough, it seems to me that the slaves in the first book were basically trained to offer sex on demand, with a few chores chucked in for good measure. But in this book, that's a big no-no.

So Michael the Annoying goes to The Trainer of Trainers after he's somehow convinced her that he is worthy of being trained by her. It's never quite clear why she would take on such an obviously clueless idiot. However, she does. Maybe she knows how much of an idiot he's going to be, which is why the mysterious Chris Parker pops up again.

Michael is a very irritating character and I found myself wishing that The Trainer would just throw him out in the street or that Chris would punch him out. In that respect, it's not a very convincing story--most people would ignore or reject the Michaels of the world. Michael's journey doesn't quite end as he planned, which is sort of a pleasant surprise

This is the third book in the Marketplace series of BDSM erotica, following The Marketplace and The Slave.

The focus this time is on Michael, who was introduced to the world of the Marketplace through his uncle, who owns a couple of slaves. Michael doesn't have the wherewithal to purchase a slave of his own, but thinks he's found a shortcut by becoming a trainer. After a disastrous attempt to train a sex partner as a slave and introduce her to the Marketplace, he convinces everyone he wants to do better and secures a place with Anderson, the trainer of trainers.

This is actually all stuff we learn later on in the book--it opens with Michael arriving at Anderson's house and screwing up almost immediately, setting the stage for the rest of his stay there. Not only is Michael not the star pupil he imagined himself, but he's upstaged continuously by Anderson's houseguest, the enigmatic trainer Chris Parker. Even worse, nobody will tell him what to do, or what he's doing wrong.

Normally, I'm not a fan of stories that start in the middle and have flashbacks along the way, but in this case, it starts in the right place, and those flashbacks make a nice contrast with Michael's present journey.

Michael is a very unlikeable character--he's spoiled and impatient, and The Trainer is as much about him learning a few hard lessons as it is about the Marketplace. Most importantly, he learns to value the slaves, the value of servitude, and the true meaning of being a master--not simply someone who gets sex on demand, but someone who's also responsible for the slaves' wellbeing. The implications of his lessons stretch beyond kinky sex into everyday life--parent/child relationships, employer/employee, even general respect due between people of different socioeconomic stations.

Anderson's theory of training likewise applies to parents and bosses--that you must first be able to do before you can teach, as well as the concept that the better you know someone under your command, the better you'll be able to train them. It also has implications for even vanilla sex lives, focusing on respect, caring, and knowing your partner well.

The sex scenes (this is erotica after all) are integral parts of the story--they're not just inventive titillating scenes, but demonstrate turning points in Michael's journey, as he goes from focusing solely on himself to also caring about his partner.

And of course we get a couple more fascinating tidbits of information about Chris Parker. I peeked enough to know that he figures prominently in the next book in the series, The Academy. I'm looking forward to it.

This is the most complex book in the trilogy by Sara/Laura, and the best look at what makes trainers tick. Although there is less sex than in the other books, there is MUCH more power play! I especially liked the glimpses into chris parker's past, and can't wait till the next book!!!

The third book in the Marketplace series gives us more insight into how training of slaves occurs by following the education of one would be trainer in the home of the Trainer of Trainers, Anderson. Well written and fairly evenly plotted, we meet again the mysterious trainer Chris Parker though the book does little to answer the questions raised in the first two books of the series. Clearly there is a bias toward the "Old Guard" style in the book, the newer approach and what most of use know as the "scene" given less than ideal representation. But Antoniou fairly shows us the down side to the Marketplace system as well. If you enjoyed the first two books you should read this one as well.

This trilogy has got to be the best I have read. Much more believable than the Beauty series (although for fantasy, that was pretty good). I was hungry for the next chapter. Laura/Sara had a wonderful cast of characters. My favourites included Chris Parker, Brian, and Trainer Anderson. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Laura/Sara throws a wrench in for fun. On another note, I was upset to find that The Trainer was the end. It left me with so many questions, which is both good and bad, but I WANT MORE! So Laura/Sara, if you read this, your fans are waiting...

The Trainer is the best novel of Laura Marketplace trilogy. And the first ones were excellent. If you like power games, you will adore it. Laura wrote that the next one will give us more of Chris Parker (my favorite character). I wish she will not take years to finish it as she did for The Trainer.