Martial arts and slavery in a YA adventure

Annie Douglass Lima weaves an engrossing tale about a slave boy who competes in martial arts tournaments to try to win the freedom of his sister, who is also a slave. The story seems like it might have taken place now, with references to cell phones and healthy smoothies, but the theme of slavery gives the listener pause for somber reflection. The narration is engaging and keeps one's attention, making the audiobook seem shorter than its 12-hour duration.

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The fight for pride and freedom

Received as an audio review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. Narrated brilliantly by Joseph Baltz, brings this poignant and harrowing tale of Bensin, a teenage slave determined at any cost to keep his sister Ellie out of slavery and get her to freedom. What it earns him is being separated from Ellie and sold to a man who has struggled with the existence of slavery. From his owner and coach of the Cavvarch martial arts discipline, Bensin truly finds the love of the sport and the way to get this sister free by wining in the harsh tournament ring; even if Bensin has to secretly betray the trust and pride of his coach. And just when things look better for both siblings, Ellie is snatched and Bensin will do whatever it takes to get this sister back, even if he had to finally come clean to the man who owns his life... desperately hoping his coach might be willing to make Ellie free and adopt her. For Bensin, the biggest fights against dangerous thugs and his ultimate tournament enemy determine the fate of everything in grand fashion. A gorgeous and intense series begins, highly recommended.

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Looking for cavvarashil lessons

Tears welled up in me, and not just when I learned that cavvarashil is fictional! This story is poignant and timely, dealing with important topics in an engaging plot, worth the time for both adult and young readers.

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What a great story

This was an amazing story. Amazing characters that draw you into the story. It is heart wrenching at times and then will make you furious in the next moment. I don't think the description does the story justice. It is about Bensins desire to save his sister Ellie from a life of slavery but it is also so much more than that.
Bensin & his sister Ellie have always been slaves. So far Bensin has a collar but Ellie does not. Their owners are not very nice, always lashing Bensin & just being mean all the time. Bensin decides that they should try to escape. But they get caught by a watch officer. So his owners decide to sell him. That is where Steene Mavvins enters the life of Bensin & Ellie. Steene buys Bensin because of his amazing cavvara shil abilities thinking he can train the boy to become a champion & also hire him out to make extra money. Bensin soon discovers that Steene is much nicer than his previous owner but still doesn't tell him about Ellie. Steene has never owned a slave before or had children so he has a lot to learn. Bensin works hard & Excells in his cavvara shil. He even makes friends with officer Sheego who arrested him after his attempt to escape. Bensin has one obstacle standing in his way of winning the tournament and that is Jayce. He is a spoiled rich brat who will do anything to stop Bensin from beating him, including cheating.
The narrator did a phenomenal job with all the voices and made the story even better. Very talented. A great story that you will devour immediately. I can't wait for book 2.

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Great narration of the first book

I love this series. I read books 2 and 3 then book 1, but listening to this audible, was wonderful. I picked up nuances that I hadn't remembered while reading the ebook. Well done. Great action and adventure.

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Baskerville Book Reviews

As I often say, I didn’t read the summary for this book before I requested is a review copy or listened. I bring this up here because I feel like the summary somewhat misrepresents what the story is about. While freeing his sister is Bensen’s biggest motivator, the “people closing in on her” is a very minor aspect of the story.

The world doesn’t seem all that different from the United States, possibly other ‘western’ nations. One of the few changes is the legal slavery. I got the distinct impression the made-up kingdom, currency, etc. were used so it wouldn’t seem too similar to any real nation.

The protagonist, Bensin is completely and utterly determined to get what he wants. The fact that he doesn’t give up, not for anything is a trait that I respect. In a world where he’s the underdog and looked down on for being a slave, Bensin never lets that stop him. He makes a name for himself and means the respect of the people around him.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, much to my annoyance. But it didn’t piss me off as much as other books for two reasons. The first was the awesome preview of book 2, which has me excited to listen to it. The second is because it feels like part 2 and not book 2. If you read a few reviews of this book and it sounds like something you’d enjoy, make sure to get both parts. I’ve noticed there’s a part 3 and a novella, but I’ll see how things go with part 2 before I look into obtaining those.

The martial art of the series ‘cavvara shil’ is pretty well fleshed out. I’ve never heard of it but I was seriously starting to wonder if it was a real sport. The combat is very well done and easy to follow, which is what led to me wondering this.

My only other complaint is Bensin and his sister having green eyes, how it’s made note of in the story. Green eyes are rare as hell and not a single other character’s eye color is mentioned, as far as I can remember. I wouldn’t have taken issue with it, but I’ve been reviewing a LOT of books the last couple of months. Authors always seem to point out characters with green eyes, like we’re something exotic. It’s starting to get annoying. I did a search online and found an article talking about this issue, so it’s not just me imagining things either.

The narrator overall does a great job. My only issues with the audiobook are minor. At one point, the audio repeated the same dialogue twice. Which from previous experiences with Audible narration, has nothing to do with the book’s dialogue. The other 2 are a strange echo, likely due to a poor attempt to overlap the dialogue.

I feel this book is worth a read, I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to at least listening to part 2.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.

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Book 1

I really like the book. My favorite part was the emotional intelligence of this book. From the beginning I knew I was in good hands. She raises some difficult questions through the course of the story and doesn't always give the answer.

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AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ

I love this book! Bensin is easily one of the most selfless, hardworking, determined characters I have ever read. His love for his sister and his enduring efforts to see her freed from slavery makes him an easy hero to root for. The characters are well-written and believable. I love the thrilling plot, along with the impressive cavvara shil scenes. The character Bensin is an athlete, trained by his owner and coach, Steene, in the art of cavvara shil—an exciting sport which combines swordplay and martial arts. Through their training, Steene and Bensin become unlikely friends, building a father/son relationship that is often overshadowed by their owner/slave dynamic. Still, the characters are lovable, flaws and all. The worldbuilding is rich and realistic (disturbingly so—honestly, it feels too possible) and the plot is a true page-turner. Just wait until the climax; it's a nail-biter! I love the themes of found family, loyalty, and never giving up, no matter the odds.

As far as the audio, I thought it was nicely done. I didn't particularly love Steene's accent, but I did love how the narrator portrayed his temper! Bensin sounded very much like how I imagined. Overall, the story was brought to life in a way that made this fan smile, and I know I'll be listening to it again on my next road trip.

This is simply a fantastic book. I guarantee the first chapter will suck you in and not let you go. An absolute must read.

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Exciting and poignant

The Collar and the Cavvarach is intense, exciting, and difficult to turn off when daily life required my attention. I'm impressed on how well it addressed the daily impacts of slavery on individuals and family. Perhaps most of all, it is a story of learning to trust and work with those who seem to be the enemy. There are no easy answers. Beautiful, powerful, and at times heart wrenching. I highly recommend this book. Now I need to go read the other books in the series to see what happens.

Narration is excellent. Every character unique. I knew which character was speaking as soon as I heard them. Totally engrossed in the story.

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Great Adventure Story

I was very entertained by this story, which was my first experience with this author's work, and it won't be my last. While listening to the audiobook, I had a hard time dragging myself away from the story in order to fulfill my other daily duties. I was caught up in the story which featured a teenager who was a slave, who worked diligently to free his sister from the path their lives were following. My attention was gripped by all the twists and turns. My heart was put through an emotional wringer at all that happened. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I thought Joseph Baltz's narration was great as he gave each character a different voice, and his performance enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which included my honest opinions regarding this story.

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