Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Audio Rating: 4.5 stars
Narrator: Nick Russo
Length: 8 hours, 28 minutes
Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks
Sig is part of a secret society of dominants and submissives, one going back over four hundred years. He is paired up with the perfect submissive, Levan, and very happy. While Sig is a gentle Dom, not into the S&M aspects as much as some others, he likes order and demands it from his subs. When he is called into the headquarters of the society by his own former master, it’s to find out that a submissive had been treated wrongly—his hard limits breached—and is in need of a new Dom. Sig is asked to take Hunter on for a week to test the waters and let Hunter decide if placement with Sig and Levan is a good fit. There is one catch, however: no sexual contact is allowed. For a partnership such as theirs, this rule is terribly hard for Sig to follow, yet he prides himself on his patience and self-control and obeys the directive regardless of the fact that it means a great deal of stress for both he and Levan.
The three men grow close incredibly quickly and before the week is out, both Levan and Sig are hoping Hunter will chose to stay with them. But Hunter still seems reluctant—his hard limits of no harsh or hard physical punishment stem from a past history of physical abuse and keep him from trusting others quickly or fully. When the week nears its end, all three men experience a moment that casts their future into doubt and causes Sig to realize he has failed the two men that have come to mean so much to him.
Sir by N.R. Walker is a ménage BDSM story that focuses on healing and love. With no big angst, but a steady stream of erotic and sensual moments, the story marks the path that Hunter must take to come back from a breach of faith that leaves him rattled and fearful. Sig is like a teddy bear wrapped inside a drill sergeant—no messing about, yet gentle and kind, constantly trying to read his subs and care for them in the best way he knows how. He is the perfect balm for poor Hunter. Levan, Sig’s first sub, is smart, a bit bratty, and delightfully bighearted, taking Hunter under his wing effortlessly. Hunter has no choice but to heal in their presence and begin to believe in himself, something he has never done in his memory. Past abuse has left the poor young man questioning his worth and his ability to serve, even though he lives to do so.
There is very little to complain about in this story. It is very emotional and incredibly uplifting. Old customs come into question and I appreciate the way in which the author chooses to make Sig see what his submissives knew all along. That bit of revelation is the best done section of the novel, if I’m to be honest. The play scenes are incredibly sexy and well written and sure to make anyone’s temperature rise. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of kink with their love story.
Nick Russo narrates this audiobook and handles the English accents quite well, never lapsing during the story. This is of particular note since the novel is done in first person, narrated by Sig, and so literally all of the story except the prologue must be done in an accent. I appreciated the dry intensity in Sig’s voice for most of the prose passages, which then changed nicely when the narrator infused the dialogue portions with expressive emotion as fit the story line. I think the only place Russo’s pacing and presentation faltered was actually in the lengthy prologue. Because he rarely emoted during that chapter, the history lesson about the group we were learning about felt longer than it was and difficult to pay attention to, primarily because it had no levels—no highs or lows vocally.
On the other hand, the different voicings are done quite well. Sig’s voice is deep and mature, a great contrast to Levan and Hunter. While Levan is done in a breathy and higher timbre with a lighthearted flavor to it, Hunter’s is a bit different. While also breathy, his is deeper than Levan’s and tired sounding, as is appropriate considering the turmoil he has going through. I felt the anxiety and pain Hunter is experiencing really came through in his voice, a sign of an expert narrator who pays attention to the smallest details when vocally embodying a character. Nick Russo is near perfect as the presenter of N.R. Walker’s novel, Sir. His vocal talents, smooth pacing, and dramatic presentation make this story richer—and one couldn’t ask more of a narrator.
