A Lila Release Day Review: Built for Pleasure by Thursday Euclid

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Retired military officer Malcolm Torvik runs a rehabilitation facility for malfunctioning pleasure cyborgs. When WLF-6759—Wolf—arrives at Reboot Camp, the former battle cyborg presents problems Malcolm’s never faced before. Most pleasure cyborgs are sensation junkies, constantly high on the chemicals sex releases into their bloodstream, but Wolf’s faulty refit means it’s spent a decade suffering through unwanted encounters—and sometimes fighting back despite the consequences.

At first Wolf’s rebellion frustrates Malcolm even as Wolf’s undeniable physical perfection draws him. Then Wolf’s unexpected vulnerability and need open a whole new dynamic between them, and Malcolm finds himself feeling far too much for something that isn’t even human. Or is it? Could Homo sapiens technica be just as human as Malcolm is? And if it is, what’s Malcolm supposed to do about it? Malcolm’s been alone for so long…. Is it possible he’s found love with a cyborg? How far will he go to ensure Wolf’s freedom? Malcolm knows what he must do—for both of them—but it might cost him much more than his comfortable life.

Built for Pleasure is a beautiful story. The first couple of chapters are strong and have a depth that goes beyond the amount of words used. The ideas are refreshing and interesting, keeping the reader engage and wanting to read the next page and the next.

I love the idea behind Wolf’s and Malcolm’s meeting and how their relationship evolved even when by their society standards Wolf shouldn’t have the ability to create a friendship or anything more. And we get to see how Malcolm struggles to understand the differences between Wolf and the rest of the cyborgs.

This book is a wild ride. We get a bit of everything, from one-on-one scenes between the characters, to regal parties, and battle scenes. The author did an outstanding job building a world for this story, and including well-rounded characters to go with it. The way the cyborgs are integrated into the story and the everyday life of the citizens is an interesting take on traditional sci-fi books.

I like that Malcolm was a middle-aged, retired military man with a good relationship with his family. They played an important role in molding the type of man he is. And Wolf is a character that will steal your heart. I love seeing how much he “matures” during the story and how he tries to do better, first for Malcolm, and then for himself.

If you like sci-fi stories with a good balance of romance and world-built elements, this story will be for you. The only thinks that didn’t work for me were some elements related to Wolf’s past, and a bit of a slow pace in the middle of the story. Other than that, this is a good story to read.

There’s a lot to look at in the cover designed by Aaron Anderson, but the overall composition works well; even when it feels a bit generic. All the elements are part of the story itself.

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