House of Sable Locks

by Elizabeth Schechter

"House of Sable Locks is a powerful, sexy exploration of slavery, submission, and humanity from an author who wields both plot and prose with accuracy and total confidence. The book lives up to its early promise, with a satisfying backstory and a plot that continues to twist and develop right up to the magnificently tense ending. The tension really ratchets up in the final quarter, and I found myself riveted, unable to stop reading, even when I wished I could look away."— BDSM Book Reviews2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the now-classic steampunk erotic romance of dark passion, House of Sable Locks, by Passionate Plume award finalist Elizabeth Schechter.In a respectable neighbourhood, on the top floor of a beautiful house, crouches the Succubus; by design, and by temperament, she is all that men crave and fear. To the wealthy and privileged men of London, the Succubus is a test they must pass to gain access to the House of Sable Locks, the most exclusive brothel in town. However, to William, a wealthy young man born and raised in India, she is the very essence of his desires.William is recovering from the loss of everything he knows and loves when he first meets the Succubus. With great care she tears him apart… and he falls in love again. But their idyll cannot there is a killer loose in London, and the darkness of William's past is about to collide with the terror of his present.Based on the short story "The Succubus" from the acclaimed Like Clockwork erotic steampunk anthology, House of Sable Locks lets us enter the mysterious brothel readers had previously only had a glimpse of.

Genres: Erotica, Fiction

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2013

About the author

Elizabeth Schechter has been called one of the top erotica and alternative sexuality writers in the world. Her writing credits include the award-winning steampunk erotic romance House of Sable Locks, the science fiction BDSM duology Tales from the Arena, and the Celtic fantasy Princes of Air. Her shorter work has appeared in anthologies edited by D.L King (Carnal Machines), Laura Antoniou (No Safewords), and Cecilia Tan (Jingle Balls_; Like a Prince).

Elizabeth lives in Central Florida with her husband and son, and a most accepting circle of friends who are both very amused and very proud of the pervy, fetish writer in their midst.

Reviews

[Lilith Noir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I picked this up because I liked the cover. Which is so shallow, but it worked this time!

This book combines elements of BDSM, steampunk, and romance, and that combination worked really well for me. There is a terrible villain, bizarre contraptions, and the main character gets to have a pretty impressive range of experiences during his sexual exploration.

Oh, and the bizarre contraptions are for sex. Just want to make that clear. It was awesome.

[Jaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure here. The author is an old friend of mine. I read the short story that inspired this novel, "The Succubus" a couple of years ago, and loved it. I bought the book on Amazon a week ago and devoured it.

This is erotic science fiction as I have never read it before. The setting is an alternate Victorian England. There are cybernetic machines, like computers and automatons, and they have filtered into every part of society. William is a young nobleman come home to England after the disastrous fall of the Indian Raj. His spirit is damaged by what he experienced there, and his cousin takes him to the titular House of Sable Locks to exorcise his demons. The House is a brothel presided over by an autonomous cybernetic engine called the Succubus, and it takes him to levels of pleasure and pain he never dreamed of. If that was all this was, it might make for an intriguing stroke book, but that's not what this is at all.

The setting and characters rank with the best fiction I have read recently. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the setting and has a strong stomach.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first venture into steampunk erotica and I'll definitely be back!

The story here is richly woven and fairly dark, the erotic scenes are well-written (even at their nastiest!) although the storyline wavered a bit in the middle and it took me a while to sort out who did what. The characterisations were believable and both hero and eventual heroine both had the ability to make the reader sympathetic to their plight.

On the whole, a very enjoyable read, I will certainly look at further books, both by the same author and in the same genre.

One small confession, I did read the more gentle erotic bits twice although there is scene in the middle that I'm not sure I should've even read once.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congratulations, Author Elizabeth Schechter, on your extra star for bisexual content! I enjoyed this erotic steampunk novel from Circlet Press. As is all too common in "bi" fiction, an unsatisfactory same-sex relationship in the past contrasts with an idealized romantic different sex relationship in the present. Luckily, though, Schechter throws in a happy menage a trois for our hero with a married couple in between. The writer makes the important distinction between BDSM and abuse by alternating one with the other so many times that the latter starts to feel like torture-porn. Some excellent sex writing makes the book a jollier romp than it would have been otherwise.

[Skye Catriona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Schechter⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Dark, elegant, and utterly captivating — a steampunk masterpiece of passion and power

House of Sable Locks is a stunning blend of sensuality, steampunk mystery, and emotional depth. Elizabeth Schechter writes with a confidence and grace that pulls you completely into her world — a London filled with gears, secrets, and forbidden desires.

The atmosphere is rich and immersive, from the shadowed halls of the House itself to the haunting figure of the Succubus, who is both alluring and terrifying in her complexity. William’s journey is beautifully written — tragic, tender, and transformative. His connection with the Succubus is far more than physical; it’s a profound exploration of surrender, healing, and identity.

What truly makes this book stand out is its intelligence and emotional honesty. The eroticism serves the story rather than overpowering it, and the mystery thread keeps you hooked right through to the breathtaking, tension-filled finale.

A decade after its release, House of Sable Locks still feels daring, poignant, and timeless — a dark romantic fantasy that lingers in your mind long after the last page.

[K.J. Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways this is a hard book to review. Is it a mystery? There are some elements of that, is it a thriller, even more evidence of that. Then there's the erotic side of it, which is both sexy and disturbing in equal measure. I'm not really sure to be honest. But, I do know that I enjoyed the book.
William and his past is fascinating. The world he now finds himself in is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. The only part of this book that I didn't really fully connect with is that some of the characters are just evil for the sake of it. There's no nuance or other levels to them, they are instead simply evil and sadistic for the sake of it.
This is a gripping read and with it's glimpses into William's early life in India I just couldn't put it down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

[Ashie Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

House of Sable Locks is definitely an interesting read. I’m not quite sure I was ready for this one. I am not easily triggered but there is definitely some contents here that you should check the trigger warning for if you are. There is a lot happening in this story, at some points it felt like too much going on at once and others where I felt like we’d deviated from the main plot and too far into side quest territory. It all ties up nicely in the end though. Elizabeth Schechter is a beautiful writer, the language in the book was lovely and very time accurate. You can’t really go into any details without spoiling this book but if you’re into LGBTQ+, a little BDSM, some spice and a story that’s set in a 1800’s suburban WestWorld brothel with a Jack the Ripper type villain on the loose sounds intriguing to you, give this a go!

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this book, I was surprised. I distinctly remember reading the short story, Succubus, in a Steampunk collection, and I adored it. To see a full length novel, colour me intrigued. Whilst I enjoyed this book so much, it is a conundrum to me. The BDSM in this book is both deliciously deviant and BDSM lifestyle hostile. Since this is a Steampunk fantasy book, I'm going to exclude the BDSM hostile undertone in my rating. I will explain it.

To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website

*provided by https://www.netgalley.com

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

William, a wealthy man drowning in his despair with the loss of his family and his homes in India and France seeks the thrill of the House of Sable Locks. House of Sable Locks, an alluring mansion that caters to the fantasies of London's wealthy elite run by automatons and the Succubus. Men who wish to indulge in their desires must visit the Succubus, and none have returned from her embrace, until William. His fascination with her and the satisfaction of his deepest desires raise questions about the true nature of the Succubus. All the while, a series of murders plagues the city, with the killer remaining at large. William must navigate fulfilling his desires, confronting his past traumas, and ensuring his safety.

“The House of Sable Locks” by Elizabeth Schechter is an amazing book. It was way spicier than I thought it would be 5 chili peppers spicy. I loved loved loved the trauma aspect of William but still not being able to fight his urge to be dominated. The book is packed with BDSM, steampunk vibes, and Jack the Ripper-esque atmosphere. I ordered a physical copy immediately after finishing my digital copy. 5 out of 5 stars, I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did.

[chesirern · Rating 4 out of 5]

House of Sable Locks by Elizabeth Schechter is a steampunk erotica novel. This is one of the wildest novels I have read. I read a lot of genres and a lot interesting books but this was next level. It had a lot of ideas in the plot so much stuff going on but it did work. The characters were unique and their stories interesting.

It’s hard to explain too much without giving it away. A man name William has a lot of issues and is trying find a way to deal with them. He goes to this house with automatons and meets Samantha. From there things go haywire.

If you like twisty thrillers this it. I still am trying to figure this unique read out.

[Sam Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never come across a story like this one, that crosses genres so effortlessly. Historical, a degree of steampunk, BDSM... and so tidily done. I was drawn in from the first chapter. The writing is skilled, light-handed and graceful and the range of erotic scenarios in this book is quite stunning. William is compelling and believable, and he's written with such conviction. He's a male sub and he's an incredibly strong one; note the 'and', not 'but'. I've not yet come across a male sub character with such a core of steel. The succubus is equally compelling. The lead-up to where her thought processes come from is page-turning. I read the entire book within two days and have revisited the 'good bits' many times since.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

a compelling & unusual book. dead sexy too.