The Collar and the Cavvarach by Annie Douglass Lima

The story goes to alternative reality, where slavery is allowed in the society. Like it would have been, when south would have won the US civil war and socialists would have been in power. Bensin (what an odd name, means petrol in Estonian) is born slave, like his younger sister. As slaves are allowed to have one free day in week and not to work over eleven hours per day, it doesn’t make much difference are you a corporate employee or just a slave.

Bensin’s mom had died during last childbirth and his father sold to someone, so he had promised to take care of his younger sister. He had been kind of troublemaker to his last owner, they decided to sell him. And his new owner is just divorced lawyer, who even didn’t support slavery. But when rented out to others, slaves where profitable business to their owners. Similar to employees.

But slaves where restricted to move or travel without a written permission from their owners, so there was “watch” organisation to catch those escaped slaves. Obviously, slaves must wear always collars. Not all the “watch” officers are bastards, some of them even are kind and Bensin has luck to meet such kind of officer.

Cavvarach is kind of fighting sport. His new owner is very keen of it and as Bensin has shown talent, he takes him to train. Obviously, there is big bucks to make from cavvarach competitions.

Bensin hopes that winning cavarrach tournaments will help him to free his sister from slavery. That, what he had once promised to mother. However, when past owners will start to sell the sister, he is now in hurry to free her. The man in car shop, who promise to free his sister from collar is a phoney man (I assume, every US car dealer or mechanic is) and steal his money together with his sister to sell on black market. However, Bensin had stolen that money from his new owner.

Obviously, Bensin now has to free the sister and win the cavarrach competition as well.

It was well written and easy to read book. Sometimes, it feel little bit naïve and that’s the only reason for me to give four+ stars instead of five. Anyway, I enjoyed to read it and hopefully you will enjoy as well.