Tied up in Spyder’s Trouble by Korin I. Dushayl
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.
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My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
