Sally Bend's Blog, page 10

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

Nothing purchased this week

For Review

A few review titles this week…

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge by Kresley Cole – this looks to be a reprint or a new edition, but the cover is gorgeous and who can pass up an abandoned manor, an imprisoned vampire, and the ghost of a ballerinaKinky Karrot Presents: Off The Beaten Path by Marie Sann & Yann Krehl – I absolutely adore her artwork and how it manages to be fun and happy and quirky and kinky at the same time, so I’m excited to finally be getting an English edition of this storyThe End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand edited by Christopher Golden & Brian Keene – The Stand is iconic, and if there’s anybody I’d trust with overseeing a return it’s Golden and Keene, especially with stories from Poppy Z. Brite, Richard Chizmar, Jonathan Janz, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Hailey Piper, and Catherynne M. ValenteCurrently Reading

I’ve had a busy week with a novella to audit and two short stories to proof, so reading time has been scarce, but I expect to finish To Hell or High Water by Selene Kapsaski & Beth Warburton and The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig this week, while continuing to take my time with Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson.

Weekend Freebies – Bound & Transformed

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

The Dominion and the Sugilite: Episodes 14 & 15 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)

Title: The Dominion and the Sugilite
Episode 14 | Episode 15
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: Dec 6 to 19, 2024
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Various

If you are new to The Dominion and the Sugilite, then let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. This is a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a fantasy-themed society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.

As always, I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but there’s only so much I can not say when we’re 15 episodes in.

Although the last episode took us outside the Dominion to visit the Naturalists, it was through Naqqi, an open-minded, respectful young man who doesn’t really represent the most uncomfortable aspects of their society. In Episode 14, Geo is forced to endure a meal with Obadiah, and we get to experience Naturalists’ misogynistic, patriarchal, hypocritical society in all its horror.

At the same time, we get inserted into the soap opera between Jewel, her submissive Stone, and Gaius the satyr. What we see here is coercion and trickery on the satyr’s part, altering the power exchange for what purpose we don’t know, stripping it of love and respect, and directing it towards humiliation.

These scenes have a heavy emotional impact as you’re reading them, but there’s a psychological one that only comes later, in a scene between Chip and Acacia.

“You’re saying that unintentional pain is not pleasurable.”

“Yes! That’s it exactly!” Chip smiled. “Because in the moment, there’s a pleasure to the pain. But I can’t enjoy something if I don’t know what she’s going to do.”

“Yes,” Acacia nodded. “That makes sense. You can’t ever achieve sub space in that scenario.”

In contrast to the ways in which Obadiah verbally abuses his wife and Gaius coaxes out a scene of abject humiliation, we see a Domme and a sub reflecting on a scene in an open, respectful conversation. While the uninitiated might say that whipping, flogging, and spanking are the true abuse, we’re reminded of the mutual benefits they bring within a power exchange.

By contrast, Episode 15 is more reflective and mysterious as it explores the events of the last episode and seeks to shed some light on them – even as it exposes new secrets and mysteries. Aurora and Geo have a wonderfully choreographed discussion about Obadiah within an intimate expression of their power exchange, complete with submissive rewards.

Stone’s story continues with a very uncomfortable scene with Cozima, his boss, which is not all that different from what he endured with Gaius in the last episode, except here there’s unwanted pain added to the humiliation. Again, it’s a deliberate interference in his power exchange with Jewel, but this time the counter is young Pebbles as we follow up on her training experiences two episodes ago. Here she borrows a friend’s submissive and slowly, awkwardly, adorably becomes more confident in her role. It’s a comic scene at times, very much echoing her lessons with Acacia, and it demonstrates the difference between dominance and abuse.

As for the mysteries I alluded to, one involves Stone, and for all that it makes me suspicious of his motives, it’s hard to feel much sympathy for Cozima. Another revolves around Gaius and his situation since being interrupted with Jewel and Stone. I won’t say much about that, except that my sympathy for him is tempered by my suspicion of him. The last mystery, and this is where I’m far more heavily invested emotionally, is the suggestion that Bay’s motives in helping with the preparation of futa shakes is not so innocent. I loved his scene with Dvita and Ichiniko (I’d happily read a novel about the two of them!), but his final scene in the episode left me rather cross.

Rating:   

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seducing the Widow with Jane Walsh

Title: Seducing the Widow
Author: Jane Walsh
Publication Date: January 14, 2025 by Bold Strokes Books
Genres: Historical Romance
Representation: Lesbian, Bisexual

The latest historical sapphic romance from Jane Walsh is a pleasantly low-stakes, low-angst, low-conflict novel where the backstory is almost more interesting than the main narrative.

Fifteen years ago, Cass and Louise were young debutantes embroiled in a bitter rivalry for the affections of the same man. In an enemies-to-lovers twist, they ended up falling for one another, but weighed down by the burdens of social expectations, Louise turned her back on their love and chose the earl instead – leaving Cass heartbroken and humiliated. I really wish we could have seen more of this, because I wanted to see these young women discover one another, but what’s there is lovely.

As Seducing the Widow opens, Cass is returning to the scene off the crime (so to speak), desperate for the right patron to support her gloves and help her rescue her family’s fortunes – and that patron, the woman who she feels owes her, is Louise. It’s an awkward, uncomfortable reunion, but there’s guilt and longing there, and rather get bogged down in bickering and arguing, they opt for open and honest communication about the past, their feelings, and the present. We see them open up, reconnect, and look to make the most of their second chance.

While I’m not a fan of love triangles and generally resent the need to shoehorn a third into a relationship we’re invested in, I did like the Louise/Victor relationship because it opened up an interesting discussion into Victor’s past as Clarabel, who cast off the pressure to be the perfect young lady, but who ultimately rejected the same debut season that brought Louise and Cass together.

No surprises, no major twists or turns, just a happily-ever-after romance with two remarkable (and remarkably endearing) women.

Rating:  

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

Two purchases again this week, Sword Dance by A J Demas,  a m/nb romance set in an imaginary ancient world, and A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon, a reverse harem monster romance.

For Review

A handful of review titles this week, including:

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig (Gothic Romantasy with a divine prophetess and a heretical knight)Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam (Epic Fantasy / High Fantasy with an unlikely assassin and an aging swordswoman)The Revenge of Captain Vessia by Leslie Allen (Fantasy / Romance with a Vampyri pirate transwoman)If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel (Thriller / Romance with girlfriends keeping secrets – spy secrets)Sex Witches by Crystal Veeyant & Belle du Jour (Erotica with a brothel full of witches)Currently Reading

This week I’ve flipping between To Hell or High Water by Selene Kapsaski & Beth Warburton and Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson, and I immediately jumped into the pages of The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig, taking it to my pedicure appointment.

Weekend Freebies – Femdom, Feminization, Femboy, and Futa Fun

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Scorpion Ranch by Carlton Mellick III

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

My choice this week is a literary exploration of gender identity and emotional abuse from the grand master of Bizarro fiction.

Scorpion Ranch

by Carlton Mellick III
Science Fiction | Bizarro
April 15, 2025 by Eraserhead Press

For over 20 years, Carlton Mellick III has been writing some of the strangest and most compelling novels the bizarro fiction genre has to offer. Described as one of the top 40 genre fiction writers under the age of 40 by The Guardian and “one of the most original novelists working today” by extreme horror legend Edward Lee, Mellick returns with a literary exploration of gender identity and emotional abuse.

Daniel Munch is in a toxic relationship, but not just because his girlfriend is selfish and manipulative. She is also literally toxic-born with glands in her mouth and genitals that spew deadly poison. Every time they kiss or make love, he puts his life at risk. She could kill him at any moment and he has no choice but to trust that she would never do anything to cause him harm.

But when they decide to get married, Daniel is pressured into doing the switch-a procedure where couples swap bodies in order to better understand each other. For one month, he will become her girlfriend while she will become his boyfriend. It’s only for one month, so what would be the harm in giving it a shot? Surely it wouldn’t utterly destroy each and every aspect of his entire life…

From the Wonderland Book Award-winning author of Quicksand House, Glass Children, and The Girl with the Barbed Wire Hair.

Tied up in Spyder’s Trouble by Korin I. Dushayl

Title: Spyder’s Trouble
Author: Korin I. Dushayl
Publication Date: December 01, 2022 by Pussy Cat Press
Genres: Science Fiction, Romance
Representation: Bisexual, Femdom, BDSM

Spyder’s Trouble is the first book of The Lady & The Spyder, a 5-book saga by Korin I. Dushayl that deftly mixes sci-fi action, kink philosophy, and BDSM erotica. It’s a story that works on multiple levels, any of which could stand on their own, but it’s the intersection of them all that makes this so memorable.

As the story opens, Spyder, captain of the spaceship Trouble, is smuggling goods for a crime lord named Creeper, and transporting a pompous bureaucrat (un)affectionally referred to as Sir Demanding. His crew is small, and his ship has seen better days, but when they receive a distress call from Lady Cassandra, he’s willing to risk everything to come to her aid – putting them in the crosshairs of bounty hunters and more. As sci-fi romps go, this is a fun read with well-choreographed battles, daring escapes, alien planets, and inventive technology. It’s like being on board the Millennium Falcon with a more foul-mouthed crew, but that’s only one layer.

Where things get really interesting is with the dynamic between Spyder and Lady Cassandra. As we quickly learn, he is her slave, a lifestyle submissive in a BDSM power exchange, and it’s her celebrity as a Dominatrix that has brought her into conflict with the Pietists, members of a fast-growing religious movement that seeks to outlaw such pleasures. While I suspect the Pietists will loom larger over subsequent books in the series, here they’re mostly a catalyst for the action.

As for the power exchange, it should come as no surprise that Ms. Frederick, a lifestyle Domme herself, describes matters of protocol and discipline so well. The way in which the characters experience subspace is probably the closest approximation to my own that I have come across in fiction. It all feels genuine, which means those in and/or curious about the community will find that aspect fascinating, while others may find the level of detail too intense.

We’re only just getting to know the characters in this first book, but they’re an endearing crew that you’ll want to root for, There’s a good deal of humor wrapped up in their relationships, and to say there are some surprises in store – both good and bad – would be an understatement. Spyder’s Trouble is a fun, fantastic, fetish-flavored read that leaves the door open for so much more to come.

Rating:  

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

Just two purchases this week, both used books that fill some gaps in my shelves. First up is Secret Sorceress by Linda Lowery, part of the short-lived, ahead-of-its-time, HeartQuest series of Dungeons & Dragons romantasy from the 80s. I also snagged a library copy of Transcendent 2: The Year’s Best Transgender Speculative Fiction, edited by Bogi Takacs.

For Review

Nothing on the review front this week.

Currently Reading

Sadly, we did say goodbye to our sweet boy this week. Originally a stray from Texas, we rescued him from a kill shelter 7 years ago and enjoyed every moment he was a part of our family. We did what we could to make him comfortable in his final weeks, but right-side congestive heart failure is something for which there is no cure.

While still grieving, I’ve been able to escape into fiction, flipping between Seducing the Widow by Jane Walsh, Spyder’s Trouble by Korin I. Dushayl, and Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson.

Weekend Freebies – Femdom, Feminization, Femboy, and Futa Fun

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!