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Tinman

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Content warnings: dub-con sex, extreme humiliation and abuse, mentions of long term child sexual abuse and rape, somewhat dubious HFN ending

After years of being sold one night at a time by his mother, the boy is drugged and auctioned off for good. Taken away by the man he’s only ever know as Master, the boy must earn his place upstairs where he is expected to function as a pleasure slave for Master’s warped tastes. But the road to being allowed out of the basement isn’t easy and even when he finally earns a chance at the upstairs, the boy is taught the most brutal of lessons and asked to make the hardest choice of his life.

Taking the domination game into a realm of more than just a game, Master forces the boy to learn to be an object. The boy must learn to be used if he is to survive the life he has been forced into. Master will push his body to its limits and humiliate him as deeply as he is able in pursuit of creating the perfect slave. But can he do it before time runs out? Will he be able to shape the boy into what he desires or will the boy resist Master’s training and slip through the older man’s fingers?

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

46 pages, ebook

First published July 8, 2013

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Dani R.R. Hermit

6 books2 followers

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5 stars
8 (7%)
4 stars
17 (15%)
3 stars
42 (38%)
2 stars
30 (27%)
1 star
12 (11%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Emma Sea.
2,206 reviews1,167 followers
July 25, 2013
A solid story, and a great match to the prompt. I was a little disappointed, not by the story as such, but because I had big happy expectations with the "extreme humiliation and abuse" tags, whereas this was only a teeny-tiny, little bit humiliating and abusive (in terms of dub-con human slavery ships, this is a pretty nice and straightforward one). Because the boy is so innured to his situation there was no tugging of heartstrings, or revelling in abjection, and while there was fucking, it was pretty unerotic. Still a good read, and I very much liked the open ending.
Profile Image for Elizabetta.
1,230 reviews34 followers
July 9, 2013

2.5 stars

I like dark fic but this was very cold and heartless. Here, we have a sixteen-year-old boy, pimped by his own mother and brutalized by the ‘Master’ she sells him to. He has no name and no hope in the world. Well, his only hope would be to escape these two miscreant abusers. Heed the warning about the ending, because while the boy is allowed a choice, it never assures that he will finally find some softness in his world.

The story title seems to refer to the song ‘Tin Man’ by 70‘s folk/rock band, America, which includes two lines: “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn’t already have…” I suppose the Master in the story was trying to teach a lesson to the boy by playing this song incessantly. He does give a semblance of ‘order’ to the boy’s life that he didn’t have before, but I can’t figure out why a little compassion and warmth couldn’t have been added to the mix. That this is tagged BDSM will surely offend many in the life who see the Master’s behavior as nothing more than abusive.

Then again, the story prompt asked for very dark specifics and the author crafted something that remained true to that. Two stars for the effort and for the writing, but this really wasn't 'ok' for me.
Profile Image for Steelwhisper.
Author 5 books418 followers
July 11, 2013
~1.5* rounded up because it's a freebie.

I've several issues with this story, one on principle, and several with regards to quality and research. I'll try to unravel my reaction to it a bit. I possibly need to state that I gave
Humiliator 5*, which pushes the envelope of everything demanded here (except the non-con) a hundredfold. I also gave Fog: A Novel of Desire and Reprisal 5*, which again pushes the non-con by a mile and then some. Just to clarify that I'm not reacting to the content in itself. I like both extreme BDSM and extreme non-con!

1. Filling the Prompt: 3*

The prompt was quite contradictory, the story included most of what the prompt-giver asked, of sorts.

2. Cover: 1*

The cover and the content don't match. Which makes this a potentially extremely squicky affair for some readers!

3. Tags: 1*

This has nothing whatsoever to do with BDSM. The tags the author (and the prompt-giver) need to put on this are either sadomasochism or barysadism. Anything else is misleading to the extreme, particularly the BDSM-tag, which auto-includes SSC (Safe-Sane-Consensual), which is entirely absent in this.

4. Writing: 2*

The writing was fairly competent, although it suffered from far too much telling and not enough showing. The story ended up being all over the place, without a clear structure and without really indicating what took place when. I understand that it attempts being a frame story, but wasn't cleanly enough set up for this. As a result I felt chased around, had to repeatedly check and read back to know what time frame I was reading at the moment, all of which detracted much from the whole experience.

5. Content: 1*

As I stated, I like both heavy BDSM, and heavy non-con. So I'm not rating this low because it's heavy, I'm rating it low because it's detached, unerotic, and above all not very believable, parts of it were also not exactly feasible. Yes, people do break down, no, not in this manner (those are tropes and fantasies one tends to find in bad torture-porn). Both Humiliator and The Fog are deeply, viscerally erotic, one reason for that is the emotional depth and attachment of the victims. The boy in this was entirely removed from everything, mechanical.

Yes, I saw the attempt at painting the past worse than the present, but again this fails. It isn't self-evident that a 19 y/o young man has to live as a rent-boy for instance. Or has to return to a mother who sold him. Stockholm syndrome is a defense mechanism, yet it wasn't properly set up in this, nor would it commonly extend to the kidnapped staying with the kidnapper if there's a real choice. There were enough such cases recently to show this stereotrype is faulty. All this added up to that I simply didn't believe anything I was told in this.

Profile Image for Jo * Smut-Dickted *.
2,038 reviews500 followers
November 9, 2013
A lot of potential. I just could not emote at all with the boy. He seemed too remote and unreachable. I do understand the context and his history - and I wanted badly to feel for him but I just didn't. I was confused as to the Master - he also seemed unemotional and, frankly, very bland. It had a "right now" vibe but I was left wondering if this mere existence would just play out every day and that's it. Nothing more. I didn't see any glimmer in the boy - and without any form of hope or personality it was really hard to connect. It's just my type of story yet and it was definitely o.k. but I'd hoped for a bit more to relish.
Profile Image for Jack Pyke.
Author 21 books671 followers
July 9, 2013
Please read the content tags. This won't be for everyone.

I kind of saw Silkeee reading this one, so snook in to have a look.

The content tags mark this clear enough, but it's very well executed in general, the will he/won't he theme to this was gripping, especially surrounding the circumstance. There's hard content, yes, but it fitted the story and tone. The only problem I had is that the boy's defiance kicked in with the Master.

But other than that, this was a dark story that certainly kept me scrolling to find out what happened.
Profile Image for K.
1,606 reviews82 followers
Read
July 8, 2013
LHNB Story released 7.7.13
This is a very dark story, that has potential triggers all over the place in terms of abuse, sadistic treatment of children, rape and torture. It's kind of the ultimate in Stockholm Syndrome stories. From the age of 10 the boy's body has been used by his mother go obtain money and in some way status, until at the age of 16 she decides to sell him. He's eventually purchased by the man he knows only as Master, and essentially the abuse continues as he is "trained" to basically accept whatever Master does to him. His life is governed by rules and punishment, which he gradually comes to accept and even appreciate as it gives him the benefit of some security. Then comes the day, a year after his "sale", where he must chose to return to his mother or remain with Master.

The story itself is well written and interesting, but I can't actually decide whether or not I enjoyed reading it so for that reason I am not going to rate it.
Profile Image for Jackie.
50 reviews19 followers
July 8, 2013
This story, though much more dark then I would normally read, was well written and an interesting read. Hence the 3 rating.

Though you see the life the boy lives is harsh and demeaning, his Master actually does take care of him and provides that which his former life was missing - structure, self-control, and direct consequences to his actions, both positive and negative.

His previous life makes this one seem so much better. And though he knows that he could have his independence back if he wants it, he is for the first time in is life given the right to choose.

Though this book isn't for everyone - for those who like dark stories, or who like to stretch their boundaries... a lot, this is an interesting read.
Profile Image for Silkeeeeeereads.
1,432 reviews95 followers
July 9, 2013
Since I read this from the site and the download isn't available yet, here it was I wrote on the site for this CRAZY, WONDERFUL book:

DAMMIT, Dani!! I hope to hell you are working on the NEXT chapters of this book. What an excellent erotic thriller. This is the eptiome of erotic thriller and I, for one, loved it. I'm not as shameful as other people are about loving these types of reads. They bring out so much emotion in the reader. Job well done and thank you SO much for sharing. Now if you will kindly tell us where this story will lead, I'm sure we will all appreciate it and buy it.
Profile Image for Jyanx.
Author 3 books106 followers
September 4, 2013
Nothing about this story worked for me at all.
Profile Image for Tina.
1,748 reviews1 follower
July 9, 2013


Huh... that story was so dark... and a bit outside of my comfort zone. I like reading BDSM stories when the characters act safe, sane and consensual, but this one was in no way like that. Although it was well written and interesting to read I felt nothing but sorry for the poor boy. Abused in his childhood, now abused from his Master. But the story fulfilled the photo and the prompt exactly, so I'm going to rate its quality.
And no, I don't want to know where the boy ends or how he is going to decide. None of his choices will make him happy.
Profile Image for Izzah Zulaikha.
421 reviews10 followers
July 8, 2013
I'm not ashamed to admit that i love this type of dark stories <3
When i saw the picture i was totally turned on.
And the end was cruel T.T
Not for him but for meeee.
I don't know his decision!
Now i'm left to ponder it for a while -___-
But overall this was aa good story!
Thank you writer and requester!!
Profile Image for Vivian.
2,883 reviews474 followers
Read
July 9, 2013
I am not rating this book because the content has compromised any sense of objectivity in judgment. I will state that the warnings should be heeded. Due to the lack of character emotions I personally find it unrewarding, but the writing is clear and the tags well executed.
Profile Image for Rachel Emily.
4,268 reviews351 followers
Read
July 9, 2013
Oooh, yes this was very dark. Not my usual thing I would read, but I am reading all of the stories for the event since so many authors gave their time and effort to this project, and I want to support all of them. I'm actually not too sure how to rate this because of the subject matter. Like I said, I would never read something like this, but it was well written as a story. So, no rating for me! I would like to think he stayed with his master, since his mother sounds much, much worse. Thank you for your contribution and story!
864 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2013
It wasn't a horrible story. I rather enjoyed it. But it never felt real, it felt very detached from the characters. The prompt was more intense than the story. It was an extremely dark prompt, pretty well done, but there was an emotional element missing from the story that left it without feeling, detached and not very exciting.
Profile Image for Laura.
176 reviews16 followers
Read
April 20, 2015
Well after reading it idk if im shocked about the story or the fact it probably can happen to some poor kids worldwide.

Gosh, poor nameless kid! Terrible "mother" and a future as terrible as his past.

I already read books with some bdsm but this one was like a emotionless 24/7 master-slave thing. Idk who can find any pleasure on this.

No stars imo.
Profile Image for Penny.
940 reviews
August 2, 2013
This is the type of story that gets under my skin. Good/Bad, I can't really say. The content was dark and disturbing. Horrifying in reality. The ending is ...
968 reviews3 followers
July 7, 2021
I felt like there was no choice. Being sold by his mother for training. Then after a year being told he could leave. No one ever taught him how to take care of himself. Will Master take that on in the next year? Letting him leave the house? Walk around the neighborhood together with clothes on?
Profile Image for Jenny.
Author 6 books9 followers
February 19, 2022
A story about a young man who is brainwashed and abused. I am just glad that it was short.
Profile Image for Jeanne 'Divinae'.
994 reviews17 followers
July 8, 2013
Well that was dark. I felt/feel so bad for the boy. I just wondered why he just didn't try to starve himself/kill himself, even before he came to live with his Master. His mother was the one who wasn't human. What she did was beyond words horrible. At least the Master kept him to himself and didn't use him for a money maker... Though when it comes down to it, after a year of imprisonment, as far as the boy say it, he didn't have many choices. Either stay with the Master or try to brave an outside world he knew nothing about. Really, I don't think he had much of a choice if he wanted to live.

I usually don't read real dark(but really could be happening in this world) stories. But I like to expand my reading sometimes. It was overall, the story was very intense and emotional.
Profile Image for Nana.
Author 9 books16 followers
August 14, 2013
I kind of wished to see what went through the boy’s mind during the transition process from an unwilling toy to a willing slave. The sex scenes could have been stronger if it could have been shown how much the Master enjoyed using the boy for his own gratification. But overall, I enjoyed the story. I’m not sure whether the humiliation was extreme, but it was there, which I tend to love, and I liked the Master’s no nonsense attitude.
Profile Image for Anna.
554 reviews
October 18, 2013
This was a good story, if now good is a word to use when it comes to stories like this, and I really loved the end. I reread the last lines a couple of times and thought WTF! but that was really good. The reason I'm not giving this story more than three stars is that I didn't feel any real emotional connection to the boy. It's the kind of story where I would've liked to really feel but I didn't. I kept thinking Oh that's horrible but that was it.
Profile Image for Neko.
399 reviews38 followers
July 16, 2013
Wow, wow, wow...
This was one of the Darkest stories I've ever read. And I loved every minute of it!! lol...

My faint of heart friends, DO NOT GO NEAR THIS.
It's quite disturbing... but if a little bit of darkness every now and then is your cup of tea... then I really suggest the read. Ha! wow...
Profile Image for Carole-Ann.
2,711 reviews84 followers
August 25, 2013
I'm happy to read non-con/dub-con stuff, so this didn't really disturb me. But......I was not happy with the reasons why Boy was there, and Master was using him - too glib, and not enough backstory/reasoning why everything was.

Good story, kept my interest, but questioned a lot more than usual.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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