Rebirth by Dusk Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are a few stories around that were born as online sagas and for various reasons never went the traditional route of publishing. "Special Forces" is one, "The Administration" is another. “Eternal Dungeon” ranks right up there with them.

The 400,000 word epic is obtainable from Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/27251.

The stories that make up "Rebirth", the first volume about "The Eternal Dungeon" are dark, but that’s because they explore serious themes. Themes of good and evil, guilt and repentance, redemption and renewal. Love is at the core of the stories and while there is some sex, it’s a very small component and vital to the plot.

Each of the chapters except the last are primarily told through the eyes of the two main characters, Elsdon Taylor and Layle Smith. Rebirth 6 is told completely by a totally new character, giving a whole new twist on the scene.

The following quote from the POV of Layle's former master isn’t the story by any means, but illustrates some of the concepts covered.

"The master's first acquaintance with his prisoner had come through the arrest records, and what he read there confirmed his long-held belief that the torturers of the Eternal Dungeon were fools. Their hope in prisoners' rebirth seemed to be based on the belief that prisoners' evil nature was shaped by the people around them: that if the prisoners met the right people, their natures could be shaped back to their original goodness.

The master considered this theory to be muck. In his experience, most people who did evil had been evil from the day they were born. This boy was a clear example. His early childhood had been no harder than that of many other children, and his time in the band had been, by the witness of the children and of those who had seen the boy during those years, a relatively pleasant period. There was no reason the boy should have turned to criminal torture – unless he was a boy born to do evil until someone stopped him by strangling him.....

It seems to me," he said slowly, "that your friends are looking at the matter from the wrong side round. The question isn't whether the evil men of this world should receive punishment. The question is what happens to the hearts of men who decide to inflict such punishment on their own, in time of anger. It's quite possible, you know, to become as evil as the wickedness you're punishing."

On the surface, a reader might expect tales of torture and abuse, pain and suffering, whereas in fact the specifics covering these are rarely entered into. If you fear reading them because the physical manifestation of torture doesn't appeal, you'll miss a truly great read.

The Eternal Dungeon is in essence the story of psychology. It's a story about the mind, not the body. It's a story about madness and sanity. It's the story about love given unreservedly to one who feels undeserving of that love. It's a story about sacrifice on every level.

And if you're still worried, there is a HFN at the end.

Just an update that "Eternal Dungeon" came second in Elisa's Rainbow Awards 2011 in the Best Setting Development and won (in a tie) Best Gay Fantasy!

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