Awakening by Kitty Thomas

(isn't that a beautiful cover?)

http://www.kittythomas.com

I love Thomas's work, plain and simple. Thomas really writes such stunning novellas, and this one is no exception. Awakening is told from the first person point-of-view of a mermaid named Nerina. Nerina, an essentially curious mermaid, swims too close to the shore of the island on which the humans live and gets caught in their nets. After avoiding becoming supper, she instead becomes a pet as Master Kyros refuses to throw her back to the sea. Instead, he becomes intent on changing her from mermaid to human – which myth says can only be done if the mermaid experiences real desire for a human. Nerina doesn’t believe the myth, but Kyros does and she has to stay until he gives her up. Can she truly enjoy Kyros’s touch and become human or will Kyros kill her when he discovers she’ll never be able to give him what he desires?

Again, Thomas gets right inside the head of her characters, delving as much into the psychological as the physical part of desire. The psychological change, the change in Nerina’s attitude towards humans, desire, and Kyros, is really the most intriguing portion of the book (though Kyros is, of course, masterful in his ability to bring about physical desire in Nerina as well). The contrast between hardness and kindness, between forced and wanted, are blurred in this piece. Fans of Thomas’s more hard-core BDSM works won’t find this one as stimulating as far as BDSM elements go, though Thomas still writes a non-consensual sex and kidnapping piece. There is little other plot to this novella, which is good. Thomas focuses all her verbiage and power into Nerina’s transformation and what that means for her life – and the dynamics of her relationship with Kyros. I loved how Nerina still retained her mermaid mind throughout the story and her submersion into human culture.

I’d like to touch upon one more thing Thomas did fabulously – world building. The mythology, the mermaid culture, and Kyros’s castle were all built with incredible class and detail. I could see the hallways and rooms, understand the myths and their tellers, and got a pretty good handle on the fabulous mermaid culture that Thomas builds (far different than the Disney-princess version, I assure you). It was just one more phenomenally written part of Awakening that I really enjoyed. Well-researched, well-developed, and well-written, this is another Thomas must-have for any fan.

Favorite Quotes:

He swam toward me like a shark, his eyes filled with purpose. I was faster, so I kept eluding him. Finally he stopped swimming, realizing the futility of the chase. “Nerina, if you don’t come to me right now, I’ll order the pool drained. Then we’ll see who is the fastest.”

Salty. Primal. It was like the sea. Somewhere deep in my mind, I knew he could be my new ocean.

“Sexy”ness rating: Sexy

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: If you like Thomas’s work, which includes unclear or completely non-consensual sex, kidnapping, etc (not for the faint of heart) you’ll love this new one from her. Awakening is another fantastic stunner, and I loved the mythical edge to this story.

Pages: 21,500 words

Published: August 25, 2011

Genre: Dark Erotica

Guilty Pleasures by Kitty Thomas

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Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas

http://kittythomas.wordpress.com/kittys-books/

Kitty Thomas writes BDSM books with the ‘wow’ factor, and she never fails. I’m eagerly awaiting her September release, Awakening, which is to be a little more toned-down than her usual fare, I’ve heard. Anyways, Tender Mercies was phenomenal and scary. Grace Warner loves the BDSM lifestyle, but she’s tired of playing around with people at the local club. She’s been talking with this super-handsome guy, Lucas, on webcam for a year. He lives on a secluded island that acts as its own country – where women have no legal rights and are legit slaves with no protection via the law. Entranced by BDSM that goes farther than play, Grace finally gets on the plane and travels to the island. There, her torture begins - Lucas is the opposite of charismatic and charming. But despite months of agony and nightmares, Grace is still not completely broken when she’s sold to her new Master – Asher Collins. Asher is rumored to have killed his last slave – what will happen to Grace once she’s in his care?

Asher was incredible. Sweet and sensitive, but still a Master, he does his best to help Grace recover her human identity after her torture with Lucas. He’s very attentive and caring, a true discipliner but not unprincipled. He complimented Grace and together they were a lovely couple. It was like watching a gorgeously choreographed dance – you can’t tear your eyes away from the absolute beauty and you never want it to end. I was enraptured from page 1 to the end. I loved that Grace helped heal him even as he helped heal her. I loved how much he appreciated her for her personality as well as for her submission, and how he didn’t take advantage of her. I loved how protective he was. In fact, I just loved him all together. He was loveable and a great example of how a Master should be focused solely on the needs of his slave, beyond the submission.

The book was filled with Thomas’s signature dark, erotic flair and the BDSM elements with Asher were really well done (the one’s with Lucas were sadistic and creepy, so it’s hard to call them well done even though they were well written). Lucas was definitely an ass, and a sadistic one at that. I wish we’d seen a little more of the Island and its culture and how it worked, but it didn’t detract from the story that we didn’t so I can’t complain. It was just so interesting. The writing, as always, was phenomenal and thrillingly dark. If you like BDSM books in Thomas’s questionable consent style, you’ll like this one. Asher’s treatment of Grace is so sweet and unusual and Grace is such a gorgeous submissive specimen. His kindness and her gratitude, as mentioned previously, are well-matched and make this a must read for any BDSM lover.

Favorite Quote:

master chuckled. “Mine’s bigger than yours. I’ll bet that’s true on multiple subjects.”(Asher to Lucas)

“Sexy”ness rating: *swallows dazedly*

Overall Rating: A

Bottom Line: If you like BDSM books, this is definitely one to pick up. Kitty writes excellent dark erotica, and I would recommend all of her books to any BDSM kink fan.

Pages: 220

Published: May 6, 2011

Genre: BDSM erotica

Slave by Sherri Hayes

Book 1 in the Finding Anna series

 

 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4496779.Sherri_Hayes

This book is, by far, my favorite BDSM story ever. Every page was emotional, filled with caring and compassion, uncertainty and thoughtfulness, fear and love. It was incredibly powerful, extraordinarily moving, touching and deep. So many times you go into a book expecting one thing and getting another – getting something more than you ever counted on or expected. I was looking for a good read when I pressed the ‘buy’ button on my Kindle. What I got transcended the realm of good books and transported me to the world of soul-searching, thought-provoking reading.

A quick recap of the plot before I once again decide to rave about the beauty of this book. Stephan is CEO of a non-for-profit, a caring friend, and a Dom – without a sub. Daren, a friend from college, asks to meet him for lunch one day to discuss ‘something serious’. A fellow Dom, Daren asks Stephan to help a girl in trouble - by buying her. The girl, Brianna, is a slave but Daren doesn’t believe she serves Ian (her current Master) willingly. Stephan is conflicted, but his desire to help a girl in trouble wins out and he goes and buys her immediately (*shudders* what a scary scene). Stephan has major issues buying a person, but knows there’s no other way to get her out of Ian’s clutches. He hopes, when he takes her away from Ian, things will be easier. However nothing is easy with Brianna. She hardly speaks and is emotionally damaged beyond belief. The question is – can this Dom help her regain any sense of self, and heal her tortured, battered mentality? He can, and will, try.

What I loved so much about this book was how it showed the true role of a Dom. Society focuses on the brutality of BDSM relationships, and the violence. They use that to label the subs as abused, insecure individuals with Stockholm syndrome or the like, and the Doms as cold-hearted, pleasure-seeking, power-hungry abusers. Anyone who reads this book and truly takes its messages to heart can clearly see how wrong that assessment is. Everything Stephan does, he does thinking of Brianna and how it will affect her - how he can help her. This book so clearly revealed the love, the caring, the tenderness involved in a healthy BDSM relationship. Stephan abandoned his own needs, wants, and desires throughout the entirety of the book, acting solely on what Brianna needed to heal. It’s very clear he doesn’t abuse her, and as her Dom is looking for her to heal, not for his own pleasure. That is what it means to be a Dom, and Hayes revealed that beautifully through Stephan’s patient consideration and thoughtfulness.

This book is written in first person, alternating between Brianna and Stephan’s POVs. Though I am not a fan of first person, it really worked for me in this book. I liked being privy to the thoughts of both so I could get a full, complete picture of the emotions and motivations of each character. It also gave further evidence to Stephan’s caring and to Brianna’s need for his kindness. Hayes writes a captivating, compelling tale as I watched both Stephan and Brianna struggle. A testament to Stephan’s love of Brianna is that he never gave up on her or lost his temper, even though I imagine it would’ve been very difficult not to. He ignored his own frustration in favor of helping heal her brokenness, and undergoes pain of his own for her as he watches her fear and mistrust. Used to trained subs that fully trust him, I’m sure dealing with Brianna was very hard on him and it made my heart ache that he worked so hard to make her happy. Brianna’s point of view was equally captivating, as we watched her go through nightmares, phobias, embarrassment, terror, confusion, apathy, hopelessness and hope. She was so sweet, so fragile and delicate, and so perfectly sad. It was heart-wrenching to read about her, all she went through, and all she keeps going through – the nightmares she has to relive. It made it all the more splendid to see how infinitely careful Stephan was with her.

 Hayes fully introduces the reader to the softer, kinder, sweeter side ofa BDSM relationship that society often disregards or refuses to see. I shall conclude my review by saying that I have never waited in greater anticipation for the next book of a series to come out (except perhaps Harry Potter?)  and I pray Hayes will write quickly.

Also, please read this blog posting, written by Ms. Hayes. It's a beautiful, yet fairly concise, explanation of how being bound can be freeing: Freedom

“Sexy”ness rating: Low (I know, it’s a BDSM but it’s low. They never went beyond kissing)

Overall Rating: A to A+

Bottom Line: This book was eye-opening, showing the beauty and love of a BDSM relationship and the gentle, thoughtful nature of a true Dom as he takes care of his sub.

Pages: 275

Published: July 28, 2011

Genre: BDSM ROMANCE (not erotica really)

The Auction by Kitty Thomas

www.kittythomas.com

On this strange, foreign planet there are monsters – dragon-winged, clawed monsters that kill and terrorize any human who dares to venture outside the city walls. Inside the city, human civilization attempts to continue on as it always has – despite lost technological information and the monsters. To keep circulating cash through the city, and so the city can buy supplies from transport ships, human girls are auctioned off at 18. The money from The Auction is given to the city. Annabelle Walker, ‘Belle’, has worked hard for two years blowing (literally) Stephen Thurman so he’ll buy her and set her free after The Auction. Unfortunately on auction day, a mysterious stranger – cloaked, of course – bids the price too high and buys her instead. Horror of horrors, he’s revealed to be one of those monsters – and the red-skinned, winged beast takes her back to his cave/lair to meet his blue-skinned brother. Her fate is to become both a lover and a plaything to ‘Master’ (red) and ‘Sir’ (blue). Belle, however, isn't going down without a fight. After all, it can't be right for her to actually enjoy her stay with the monsters... can it?

I love Kitty Thomas’s work. It’s so psychologically erotic. It’s not necessarily about physical control (though there was some of that) but about the seduction and control of a person’s mind – of their complete submission. Unfortunately, this was not my favorite of hers, simply because it needed a few more words. Though I respect Kitty’s viewpoint on the length of her stories (found here), I still needed this to be a tad longer with a little more development. This one felt rushed. But it was still good and exquisitely dark – full of hot, steamy, sexy details.

I am normally not a fan of sci-fi alien stuff, but this was pretty light and I loved the new dimension it added to the story. It added a new dimension of control and distance – different cultures, a removal from the familiar, the development of dependence on the ‘monsters’ for safety, survival, and sanity. The cultural barrier – which I found especially interesting when the tables are turned and we find the monsters are more sophisticated than the humans – created some interesting problems that Master hadn’t anticipated (dealing especially with the limits and frailty of the human race). Overall, the book sci-fi setting wasn’t a drawback for me at all. It was an intriguing setting even for non-sci-fi lovers.

Belle was a very believable character, warring between desire and lust and guilt for feeling something so ‘wrong’. Both Sir and Master were interesting, and very different in their ‘monster-ness’. Sir was the nice one, Master the sadistic one, and the dynamics were fascinating. I also loved the scene at the end when another girl is added to the ‘family’. *fans self* Overall, Sir and Master were both human and not, but they each had feelings, compassion, emotion, and a softer side even in their sometimes dispassionate use of Belle. Both were… pleasurable to read about, and I loved the casual nature of the sex/foreplay in the cave. It was sexy and totally orgasmic. I may need to go take a shower. I definitely need to go take a shower. Right now.

Quote (it just amused me. One of those lines that means less out of context, but it made me giggle):

“I can’t go with you,” I said. My voice managed to sound less hysterical than I’d expected.

“You’re already with me. We already left.” (Touché, sexy monster. Touché.)

“Sexy”ness rating: HOT (kinks: two different females, each have sex with two different males, f/f, voyeurism, physical ‘punishment’, Master/Slave relationship, light bondage, strapping)

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: This was a good, albeit short, BDSM novella. It was more psychological than physical mastery and bondage, but the physical was still there. Another great Kitty Thomas novella!

Pages: 20,000 words (approx 80 pages)

Published: June 24, 2011
Genre: Dark Erotica

Mercy by Annabel Joseph (BDSM)

www.annabeljoseph.wordpress.com 

So this week I decided to review a book that could get me in trouble with feminists and non-kinky romance lovers. Mercy, by Annabel Joseph, is really one of the kinkiest BDSM books out there. Behold, the following list of the kinkiness of Mercy:

Kinks: explicit scenes of dominance and submission, discipline & training, bondage, group sex, oral sex, anal sex & double penetration, menage a trois, and both harsh and loving bdsm scenes

If you’re not a fan of even light, playful BDSM don’t keep reading. You won’t like this book, I guarantee it. For those of you uncertain about whether you like BDSM, have BDSM fantasies, or know you like BDSM continue on.

Mercy is the story of Lucy Merritt and her relationship with Matthew Norris. Lucy starts out the book defiant, and a bit afraid, of Matthew, who is a patron at her dance studio. He’s into BDSM and, over coffee, asks Lucy if she is too – and if she would consider being his partner. She agrees, intrigued and curious, and the relationship begins with the safe word ‘Mercy’ – a word meant to keep a submissive safe from their master. What follows is a journey involving her training and willing participation in the pleasure that comes with pain, and the sexual freedom that comes (no pun intended) with the use of one’s body for another’s pleasure.

Matthew makes Lucy his own, in body and mind, however in turn he becomes hers completely. She is his submissive, he her master, and neither could change it if they tried. I liked that Lucy did not become submissive in all areas of her life just because she was sexually submissive, and I liked that she kept dancing until the bitter end because it fit who she was. There were a few things Matthew did that made me squirm (in unhappiness rather than... well... the other squirming), upstanding feminist that I am, but for the most part the book was really well done.

Mercy was a good read because it showed that love and a normal life with kids can coexist with BDSM relationships. It was definitely an eye-opener, and just for that I’d recommend the book to anyone with an open mind. The book also showed society’s outright disapproval of BDSM relationships, and how Lucy is shunned by people for her sexual preferences. Shame on us for judging anyone for what turns them on – we all have a right to be sexy in our own way, and Annabel Joseph definitely points that out.

 “Sexy”ness rating: Intense.

Overall Rating for a BDSM kink: A- 

Bottom Line: If you don’t like BDSM then this is not a book for you. If you only like light BDSM this is not a book for you. If you’re unsure about BDSM I’d give it a go, and if you like really intense BDSM – here’s a book for you!

Pages: 225

Published: 2009
Genre: BDSM erotica