Sally Bend's Blog, page 40

Book Review: Triple-Formed by Podopheleus (femdom)

Title: Triple-Formed: Advocate for Change
Author: Podopheleus
Publication Date: Jan 27, 2023
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Male

Triple-Formed was a strange read, as unusual in its telling as its subject matter. The telling didn't really appeal to me, which made it a challenge for me to find the plot, and because of that, there was a WOW moment at the end that I suspect may not be a twist for everyone. I came away from it wondering what the hell I had just read . . . and yet, the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated it.

This is a story about porn addiction, submission, foot fetishes, depression, female domination, and redemption. It's a dark, painful journey through material that would usually be erotic, but I think that darkness will be familiar to many readers. It asks questions that, at one time or another, we have all asked ourselves - who are we, why are we like that, and how do we feel like it's okay?

I admire Podopheleus's talent behind the telling, even if I didn't enjoy it. I'm an old-fashioned prose reader, uninterested in poetry, and so very much not a fan of hip-hop/rap. I tried to find a flow to the words, a rhythm that would make them work, but I feel as if I lacked the right frame of reference. It's like trying to read the words of a song when, not only have you never heard the song before, you've never listened to the genre.

Visually, however, this was a gorgeous little book. Mona does a wonderful job of making simple illustrations striking, using the contrast of red, white, and black to make the images 'pop' off the page. The artwork transforms the book, evoking feelings and emotions alongside the text.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ 

© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. 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.[image error] While you’re on Amazon, if you’d like to support the stories that mean the most to me, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review?   Enjoy!

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. 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.[image error]



While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support the stories that mean the most to me, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review? 

Enjoy!  © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Seeing is Deceiving by Ghostly Writer (masking, crossdressing)

Title: Seeing is Deceiving
Author: Ghostly Writer
Publication Date: Jan 22, 2023
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Male

If you're new to the idea of female masking, then I invite you to check out my series of book reviews on the topic, along with my feature article in the Feb/Mar 2015 issue of Frock Magazine. Not that you need any background - you can jump right into any of these stories and enjoy yourself - but the more you understand something the better you can appreciate it.

Seeing is Deceiving is the long-awaited (10 years!) sequel to Practice to Deceive by Ghostly Writer. It's definitely worth picking up that first book before reading this - even I got a little confused in the opening chapters - but not essential. You'll quickly get a sense of what female masking is, how and why Billy chooses to explore it, and who all the players are . . . and, before long, you'll be drawn into this erotic drama of impersonation and identities. 

Billy is a master of impersonation. His mask is the centerpiece of the novel, a lifelike recreation of his mother's face, right down to the laugh lines, dimples, freckles, and more. It's the fantasy of Hollywood-quality prosthetic effects at home, a mask that fits perfectly, looks completely real, and moves naturally. It's not just about the mask, however, or even the fantasy of crossdressing that began his journey - it's about recreating someone and 'becoming' them. Billy has studied his mother to the point where he can mimic her movements and speech so well, he can even fool her best friends in intimate situations.

Minor spoiler for the first book here, but what makes this volume so fascinating is the fact that we're already beyond the discovery stage. His mother knows, she's accepted it, but she has her own ideas about what his female masking future should look like. So, with the dramatic reveal already behind us, how do you up the stakes? You expose him to more people, introduce more masks, put them on more people, take all of this public (very public) and weave a complex web of overlapping impersonations.

Seeing is Deceiving is like a popcorn thriller where you're constantly wondering what's going to happen next, questioning who is really who, and just waiting for the next complication to arise. It's a guilty pleasure of emotional entanglement, and it only gets wilder as it progresses. However, it's also a deeply thoughtful story of why we like to play a role, the appeal of stepping into someone else's life, how walking a mile in another's heels can change us, and how such lies can impact those around us. The story gets rather convoluted in the latter chapters as too many things go too far, as promises are broken and desires indulged, and Ghostly Writer doesn't shy away from the consequences.

The exploration here feels a little less taboo with the introduction of more characters, not to mention Billy's impersonation being given a purpose, but that doesn't make it any less thrilling. It's humorous, erotic, insightful, and perhaps a little creepy at times, but the vicarious thrill of being Billy being someone else is wonderful. Settle in, turn the page, and enjoy being deceived!

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀  ♀  ♀

© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. 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.[image error]  

 

While you’re on Amazon, if you’d like to support the stories that mean the most to me, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review?  Enjoy!  

Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. 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.[image error]



While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support the stories that mean the most to me, could I kindly ask that you give these a read/review? 




Enjoy!  © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Sarah Makes Her Marriage Chaste by Giles English (erotica, chastity, femdom)

Title: Sarah Makes Her Marriage Chaste
Author: Giles English
Publication Date: March 27, 2023
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Male

If you've never read a chastity tale by Giles English, then you're in for something unique. Giles doesn't subscribe to the masturbatory fantasies of men who want to be denied just to heighten the pleasure of their eventual release. Instead, he writes about the reality of long-term chastity, of enforced denial without the promise of release.

Sarah Makes Her Marriage Chaste is a story that takes its protagonist on a journey from the fantasy to the reality. It's set in an alternate timeline where rival political forces played fast-and-loose with legislation to spite one another, accidentally resulting in a mandate of female-led relationships and permanent chastity. When years of longing for a lost element of kink turn Rich into a slovenly 'hanky hubby,' his wife insists they attend counseling and explore new options for permanent chastity.

This is a psychological story first-and-foremost, one that explores the relationship dynamics of a chaste househusband and a breadwinner wife. There's excitement to it, an aspect of fetish that draws the reader in, but it also forces the reader to consider the true purpose and intent behind selfless chastity. It's a sobering read, but it's also one where you can see how happiness is possible, if only Rich would properly redirect his affections.

Of course, this being a Giles English story, the mechanisms and functions of long-term/permanent chastity are a huge part of the draw, and the process Rich undergoes at the NHS is fabulous in its detail.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀  ♀

© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Prince Yorick the Bride by Katie Oslow (erotic fantasy, transgender)

Title: Prince Yorick the Bride
Author: Katie Oslow
Publication Date: July 15, 2022
Genres: Erotic Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Male/Female

I've had my eyes on Katie Oslow's books for a while now, but haven't had the opportunity to give her a read until now. Prince Yorick the Bride was rather different from what I expected, but in a good way.

This is a fantasy story first, a romance second, and a work of erotica third. It's a story with a well-developed protagonist, a large cast of supporting characters, and relationship dynamics (between family, friends, lovers, allies, and enemies) that feel realistic. It's also a solid story with a conflict-driven plot, twists, and betrayals. 

Oh, and there's a magical gender-swap, which is precisely what I came for!

Oslow does a wonderful job of balancing the various elements of the story, allowing it to be erotic at its brightest and coldly sexual at its darkest. The transformation is well done, nicely detailed, and the feminine awakening is natural, occurring through the story as opposed to artificial, self-indulgent self-examination. Prince or bride, I felt for Yorick, and was fully invested in seeing them pursue justice.

This was a wonderfully well-written, well-plotted delight.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀  ♀

© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Transgender Confidential 6: Brenda's Transformation (transgender chastity comics)

It's time once again to enjoy some illustrated delights, courtesy of the wonderful Shadoman and the team at Amazing Transformation Comics.

It's been a little over two years since Shadoman last explored his Transgender Confidential series, so the arrival of Brenda's Transformation is cause for celebration. If you're new to the series, don't worry, as each is a standalone erotic story, connected by theme rather than characters or plot. You're more than welcome to catch up, of course, but you can dive right in with the latest as well.
This is a bit of a unique story in that it's not centered around any sort of trickery, entrapment, blackmail, or mind control. Instead, the feminization is entirely voluntary, something that Brendan (soon to be Brenda) has been looking forward to for years, and that gives it some emotional depth right from the opening page.
It's interesting that such a deep transformation, one enabled from the inside-out using nanites, can change everything but Brenda's penis, but it wouldn't be a Shadoman tale without a little chastity play. Otherwise, she's a beautiful new woman, and adjusting to a new wardrobe means we get plenty of visuals of skirts, dresses, lingerie, and more.
The story takes a bit of a twist halfway through with her rescue of a woman on the side of the road, and that's where the eroticism comes in. It's more sensual than sexual, however, and the use of soft lighting and shadows really creates a beautiful mood. It twists again before the end - not once, but twice, owing to an alternate ending - and while I won't spoil either ending, I will say I love the costume it puts Brenda in! If you're looking for romantic HEA, the first ending will likely be more to your liking, but if you enjoy Shadoman's take on BDSM and fetish, it's the second ending that will set your heart racing. Personally, I loved them both!

Shadoman is a CG artist who enjoys telling stories through 3D comic art. Originally from the Mid-west, he now resides in Southern California. He is a Viet-Nam vet in his mid-60’s, married to a wonderful gal who is also his best friend and text editor. A film buff with an extensive library, it was his passion for film as a young teen that was his vehicle to escape and expand his own creative mind and become a storyteller.

https://www.renderotica.com/artists/shadoman.aspx

Reviewed by Sally © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Transgender Confidential 6: Brenda's Transformation (sissy chastity comics)

It's time once again to enjoy some illustrated delights, courtesy of the wonderful Shadoman and the team at Amazing Transformation Comics.

It's been a little over two years since Shadoman last explored his Transgender Confidential series, so the arrival of Brenda's Transformation is cause for celebration. If you're new to the series, don't worry, as each is a standalone erotic story, connected by theme rather than characters or plot. You're more than welcome to catch up, of course, but you can dive right in with the latest as well.
This is a bit of a unique story in that it's not centered around any sort of trickery, entrapment, blackmail, or mind control. Instead, the feminization is entirely voluntary, something that Brendan (soon to be Brenda) has been looking forward to for years, and that gives it some emotional depth right from the opening page.
It's interesting that such a deep transformation, one enabled from the inside-out using nanites, can change everything but Brenda's penis, but it wouldn't be a Shadoman tale without a little chastity play. Otherwise, she's a beautiful new woman, and adjusting to a new wardrobe means we get plenty of visuals of skirts, dresses, lingerie, and more.
The story takes a bit of a twist halfway through with her rescue of a woman on the side of the road, and that's where the eroticism comes in. It's more sensual than sexual, however, and the use of soft lighting and shadows really creates a beautiful mood. It twists again before the end - not once, but twice, owing to an alternate ending - and while I won't spoil either ending, I will say I love the costume it puts Brenda in! If you're looking for romantic HEA, the first ending will likely be more to your liking, but if you enjoy Shadoman's take on BDSM and fetish, it's the second ending that will set your heart racing. Personally, I loved them both!

Shadoman is a CG artist who enjoys telling stories through 3D comic art. Originally from the Mid-west, he now resides in Southern California. He is a Viet-Nam vet in his mid-60’s, married to a wonderful gal who is also his best friend and text editor. A film buff with an extensive library, it was his passion for film as a young teen that was his vehicle to escape and expand his own creative mind and become a storyteller.

https://www.renderotica.com/artists/shadoman.aspx

Reviewed by Sally © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved