P.O.W.

Vivid, gritty, heart-wrenching! Superb writing by Max Vos, that is smoothly flowing, and attention grabbing.This shows the harsh reality of war, the death, pain, torture, hardship and more.We see two men, each 30, complete opposites, one smooth, one hairy, one gay, one married with a new son, but both are best friends, and are "one" in their thoughts, for the Marine Corps ideology, devotion, dedication, and training. Stone and Benoit.After their helicopter crashes in the hard, snowy, rocky hills of Afghanistan, they are ripped apart, body and soul. We see harsh brutality. Captured P.O.W.s with weeks of torture, rape, starvation and freezing temps, their rescue seems improbable.Every drop of their beings are tested beyond human capacity. Every drop of their essence is used up, with adrenaline as the only thing left. But they have a hopeful exception, with an educated man who translates between them and their captures.Just when all looks hopeless, Stone has a last ditch plan. The side note being the unusual love interest.This is a fantastic, gripping tale!Spoiler: - Non-con, rape, gang rape, raw and powerful sex, menage, double penetration, and more. Fictional.======

It has been several days since I finished this book and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. I have seriously pondered exactly what I wanted to say about it. On the one hand, I’m sure it is every author’s dream to have their work stick in people’s minds. On the other hand, the reason I can’t seem to let the story go is that grabbed a hold of a part of me that has never before been touched. I have never had the desire to research the P.O.W. experience (for lack of a better way to word it). I am a sensitive person and, knowing my emotional limits, I have always suspected I would not be able to handle it well, but because I am a fan of this author and knew it was a work of ‘fiction’, I thought I could handle it. Well, I didn’t handle it well.It is a dark, painful story, just as dark as the subject matter. Judging by the author’s comments, he did extensive research and fashioned a story that wrings every emotion dry. I came to love and admire the three heroes. I hurt for them, cheered, worried and cried for them as I have done for no other characters in decades of reading. Even the HEA left me feeling vaguely hollow for reasons I don’t fully understand. As far as the sex between the heroes goes, I suspect there are those who might question the believability given the circumstances. I for one would not presume to profess what is or isn’t realistic or what people in such extremely difficult situations would do to find some comfort, some kindness and escape the horror of their situation, if only for a short time.This was a difficult story to read and it opened my eyes to another ugly aspect of war that will take me time to come to terms with. While I'm sure the P.O.W. experience is different for those that have been affected by it, I'm also sure the horrors of it are as real as they are in this story, even if the actual events differ. Still, I am glad I read it and I have gained even more respect for our military personnel than I already had – which is considerable.

I did actually end up appreciating this book, even though it read quite differently than my expectations of it. I was expecting something more brutal and depressing, and there were parts that were rather difficult to read about. At first I thought that it was all highly improbable and wanted to dismiss it as just some rather raunchy porn and objectionable scenes. But I realized I had to consider it without subjecting it to my own preconceived ideas.I have no authentic experience as a military man or a gay man, or any man at all! I also don't know the author's experiences or what research he might have done. I have to believe that there are some truths in the events in the book, whether they might have been either exaggerated or minimized within the plot. What was truly evident is that there was love, acceptance and affirmation included. I do believe that sexuality is not just black and white and some bonds are deeper than blood, especially in the crucible of war. The characters reactions and some of the terminology used were often out of my comfort zone but I kind of liked their earthy and graphic nature. It was an unusual, not always pleasant but enjoyable read.

Oh boy, this was a dark, gritty read.The characters of Sam and Ben as well as Abbas were unforgettable, the torture, fear and frustration they endured at the hands of the enemy - well let's just say I cannot imagine surviving that. What I will say is that I have even more respect for those who serve their country than I ever did before, the author conveying the sacrifices made for the greater good admirably. Though there were some moments where I didn't grasp why the characters reacted to situations as they did, the author did an amazing job of pushing boundaries and evoking a wide gamut of intensity between them. The emotions they felt - some I didn't feel comfortable with, but some that made me want to cheer for Sam and all he cared for to come out of this alive, were at times confronting.Well written, but with some triggers, so if you're not a fan of dark, explicit stories, be warned.

Wow talk about a powerful read so full of emotions fear and Most of all love , I would highly recommend this .

Il n'y a que Max Vos pour écrire des scènes très crues, voire perverses, et l'instant d'après tomber dans le Marshmallow. C'est également le seul auteur américain qui arrive à me faire avaler les habituelles salades du gentil Marines américain qui vient apporter la démocratie aux pauvres Afghans.Les scènes sont très chaudes, les "balls" sont "hairy",comme souvent chez Vos, mais les sentiments sont ultra romantiques.Un parfait mélange savamment dosé par l'auteur.J'adore.