Memorable BDSM Books

 
Just starting out with a new BDSM book review blog, I've been debating about how to play catch-up. I'm reviewing books as I read them, but what about the books I've read in the past? The ones I want everyone to know about, and the ones I want to rave about. The books and stories and series I want to share, to make sure others find them, too.

I don't think I can do a good review of them without re-reading so they are fresh in my head. So what to do? How about I just make a list of the books I've read in the past that stick out in my mind?

First there are the classics, like:

• Story of O by Pauline Reage
• The Beauty Series (The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, and Beauty's Release) by Anne Rice writing as A.N. Roquelaure
• The two Molly Weatherfield books (Carrie's Story and Safe Word)
• Mr. Benson by John Preston

Then there are some nice Urban Fantasy type books, like

• Chaos Magic series by Jay Lygon (Chaos Magic, Love Runes, and Personal Demons)
• Soul Mates series by Jourdan Lane, even though this one is more Urban Fantasy than BDSM, it's still got a lot of elements of BDSM. 
• I also always seem to remember Calendar Boys - October: Trick Of Silver and On The Ragged Edge Of The World, a little duology by Jamie Craig that nicely integrates Urban Fantasy with D/s. I'm not sure why it sticks in my mind, as I don't remember it having anything memorable as far as BDSM went, perhaps it was the depth of characters.
• One that's kind of hard to find now is Obedience Training by Mya -- an incredible BDSM story and it just happens to also be a wonderful Urban Fantasy story, with a few new critters creatively thrown into the mix. I wish she would write a follow up story, I loved the characters and want more of them.

There are also the other-planet type series, like:

• The Velvet Glove series by Sean Micheal
• Morgan Hawke's Interstellar Service & Discipline series (Victorious Star and Fallen Star) - both of which are incredibly hot. Humanoid life forms from another planet who have two penises.... need I say more?
• What Worse Place Can I Beg In Your Love? by Syd McGinley

A few that are very realistic, like:

• The Deviations series (1. Deviations: Submission, 2. Deviations: Domination, 3. Deviations: Discipline, and 4. Deviations: Bondage) by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne. A fifth book is in the works, entitled Safe Words, but no word of a release date yet.
• We mustn't forget the Nature of Desire series by Joey W. Hill (Natural Law, Ice Queen, Mirror of My Soul, and what could be the most touching BDSM romance story I've ever read: Rough Canvas)
• The Hammer series also probably fits here, but the entire series as a whole isn't as well put together as some of the others. 

The books in the above category are all a part of a series, I'm sure there are plenty of single titled realistic BDSM books that should be listed, but the series books are the ones that tend to stick out in my head.


Sometimes I'm up for a good capture/kidnap type book. Both of these books are by Claire Thompson. They are not for everyone - they are both rough, and should be kept in the realm of fantasy. There is no safe, sane, or consensual in these books.

• Frog: A Tale of Sexual Torture and Degradation 
• The Toy 

Others are harder to explain but they've stuck with me, like:

• Butterfly Unpinned by Laura Bacchi and Bonnie Dee 
• Dark Angel Sounding by Habu - this one is pretty short, IIRC, perhaps I will read this one again so I can properly review it.
• Possibly even the Dr. Fell series by Syd McGinley. Perhaps it should go into the realistic section, but for some reason I have a hard time putting it there. 

I would probably not have given every book listed here a 10 of 10, but I'm listing them because the stories have stuck with me over time. Of the books and series listed, my favorite is probably the Deviations series, followed by all of the classics I listed in the first section, then the Joey W. Hill books I listed (you'll note I didn't list the whole Nature of Desire series), then Morgan Hawke's Interstellar Service & Discipline series, Syd McGinley's What Worse Place Can I Beg In Your Love?, and Obedience Training by Mya. Next would come Butterfly Unpinned by Laura Bacchi and Bonnie Dee, and Dark Angel Sounding by Habu.  Dark Angel Sounding is very dark, but the tone of the book, the way it's told... it's stuck with me over time and I've read it a few times.

There is actually another very dark book that has stuck with me (and is another that is hard to find): Keep You by Cindy Rosenthal. It's a story of two boys (young men, but mentally they are boys in many ways, though men in others) who got lost somehow, boys on the outside of society who sell their bodies to survive, who join together and survive as best they can. It's another of those stories that I didn't enjoy all that much while reading it, but I couldn't put it down, and it's stuck with me, even years after I read it. And it's the best explanation I've read of that itch you get when you just need a good flogging, and then how it feels to finally get the itch scratched flogged.

I've realized that I have a whole lot of M/m books listed. I actually prefer M/f scenarios, but as it turns out, a lot of the M/m stuff delves deeper into the BDSM psyche. Is it because you can skip the gender issues of Man as Dom and woman as sub when it's M/m? Or is it just that men can be rougher with each other? Whatever the reason, oftentimes the M/f stuff is more BDSM Lite, while the M/m stuff jumps right in without apologizing. That is not always the case, I can quote lots of books where it isn't... but most of the time it seems the M/m BDSM doesn't feel the need to tread as delicately as so much of the M/f stuff. And, as it turns out, BDSM isn't about gender, it's about people exchanging power... and about sex and love and trust. It goes beyond gender.

I think that my first M/m book was Rough Canvas by Joey W. Hill. It is still, in my mind, one of the best BDSM love stories, ever. Not just the best M/m BDSM love story, but the best BDSM love story no matter the gender make up. It's a seriously good book.

The Deviations series delves quite deeply into a BDSM relationship without the romance. That's not to say there aren't feelings there, it's just not terribly romantic. I love the way the relationships progress, even though for a while some of it makes me uncomfortable. Not the BDSM, I don't think any of the BDSM made me uncomfortable... it was the feelings involved, the emotions. I also love that the submissive is clear on the difference between a Dom and a bully and the difference in Dominance and abuse. And it shows that Doms sometimes make mistakes, and it's the submissive's responsibility to safeword when that happens. It has some rough points, but it is very realistic and beautifully written. I can't wait for the fifth book, and will probably re-read the first four books before jumping into the fifth.

Some of the books I've mentioned here I have reviewed on my Book Series Review blog. I've linked below to the books I've reviewed over there:

• On The Ragged Edge Of The World by Jamie Craig
• Soul Mates series by Jourdan Lane
• Chaos Magic series by Jay Lygon
• Butterfly Unpinned by Laura Bacchi and Bonnie Dee
• Deviations Series by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne
• Nature of Desire Series by Joey W. Hill

This is not, by any means, a comprehensive list of the BDSM books and series that I've enjoyed. It's just a list of what immediately came to mind.


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A Russian Bear by CB Conwy

 

A Russian Bear is a fun book that follows along as a BDSM newbie is shown the ropes by a Dom with a lot of experience. Sounds familiar, but it's different than most books that follow along that path.

Mischa has a one scene policy, but he's used to taking home experienced subs. He's got a bit of a reputation as a hard player, so the only subs who go home with him are experienced and ready for hard play. The subs who go home with him know the rules and don't have to be taught anything, they are just in it to see how far they can be taken.

When Mischa starts showing Tom the ropes, Tom doesn't know those rules. He submits once the Dom stuff starts, but the rest of the time he's himself -- no pretenses, no twink stuff. It catches Mischa off guard, but it's a welcome change, and things progress nicely.

Here's the blurb:

To Mischa, life is simple. Doms are Doms and subs are for fucking, flogging, and bossing around. Until he meets Tom, that is. Tom is deeply offended when the stranger in the bar takes him for some kind of slave boy. Well, offended and more than a little excited by the thought of surrendering to Mischa. Mischa being Mischa, their meeting results in Tom losing his virginity in a way that's hotter than even his wildest fantasies.

Mischa is drawn to Tom and makes another appointment. And then another, initiating Tom to every kink Mischa knows. They aren't scenes, of course, because Mischa has a "one boy, one scene" rule. But then again, Tom isn't exactly like his usual boys, and Mischa finds himself falling in love, though nowhere near ready to admit it. Luckily, Tom isn't exactly your stereotypical slave. Life is good -- until Tom gets attacked, and Mischa has to fight harder than ever to make Tom realize that he isn't going anywhere.

At about 80% through the book I was prepared to give A Russian Bear a 10 of 10. But then I got to Chapter 10 and the bottom fell out. Without giving spoilers, it's like the author suddenly realized there was no major conflict, nothing trying to pull her men apart, and that just wouldn't do. So she put it into the story, and it's all in the last 15% of the book. If I had stopped reading at the end of Chapter 9 my rating would have been 10 of 10. But I didn't, so the book gets a 9 of 10. I should drop it farther, but the first part of the book was really good, so I'm only knocking off a point instead of the two or three that should probably be knocked off.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Decent amount of bondage, not much discipline needed, since Tom flows into his submission so nicely. There is some punishment, it's just not a big part of their relationship.  2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. Lots of both.  3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Yep, lots of that as well. And it's pretty well described. 3 of 3 
• Extra Point: I have one more point I can give if the BDSM fits together nicely, works well with the story. It does.  1 of 1

As for the writing elements, the plot is mostly following the relationship from beginning until the couple is well on their way to a HEA, and it works well, right up until the author decides to throw a wrench into the works. The pacing was mostly good with a few minor issues. Prose and dialogue are very well done, and character development is excellent.

• Book Rating: A Russian Bear: 9 of 10
• Intensity Level: 9 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

A Russian Bear is a beautiful story of two people coming together. The BDSM is artfully done, and the relationship flourishes as a result of the intellects of the parties as well as their kinks. The last fifteen to twenty percent of the book is unfortunate, but the first eighty percent or so is a very nice story.

Owned And Owner by Anneke Jacob

 

Owned And Owner is a fantasy story of total slavery, and is a journey from human mindset to animal.

It's almost a hetero version of What Worse Place Can I Beg In Your Love?, without the twist at the end. However, Owned and Owner actually goes a good bit farther with the whole Pet thing. Still, the key points are there - caged when your owner doesn't have time for you, no understanding of the language being spoken around you, used as a sexual object, never treated as a person. One of the biggest points in both books is that, because it's a different planet and different life form, the "pet" is not just treated as an animal, but is actually seen as an animal... a lesser life form.

Enough of the comparisons. It sounds wrong to say I enjoyed Owned And Owner, but I did. Sure, there were parts that didn't work for me, but not that many, actually. It wasn't as hard for me to deal with as the other book I've read by Anneke Jacob, As She's Told. The main reason for that is that Owned And Owner is pure fantasy, it takes place on another planet.

Owned And Owner is not romance. Not one single bit of romance. That's okay, not every man who buys a woman as a pet has to fall romantically in love with said woman. There is an attachment there, something you could define as love... maybe. But more like the way I love my dog, nothing like the way I love my husband. If you need romantic attachment in order for the BDSM to work for you then beware that there is none.  As the title says, it's a straight up Owned and Owner relationship.

I appreciated that we saw some of the other slaves on Henth, saw that each Owner had a completely different way they treated their slaves, completely different set of rules.

Before I get much farther, here's the blurb:

BDSM Fantasy Erotica. A story of unconditional slavery, told from inside a woman's bound and naked skin.

Far in the future exists a world of men, a planet where the only women are rare and exotic pets. These few women, convicted of crimes, have chosen their punishment: slavery on Henth. The few men who buy them know what they are getting: eager submissives, willing to accept the status of animals in order to be owned by men. Etrin is a young woman who makes this choice; Garid is the man who buys her. Their story is one of dominance and submission taken as far as the imagination can go.

Long prior to the time of the book, Henth's colonizers split along gender lines, and the women removed themselves to a separate planet. The two societies have almost lost sight and memory of each other, except for the rare occasions when a woman chooses slavery on Henth over the alternative punishment on her home planet. Driven by a deep need for submission, Etrin pushes her misbehaviour year after year, knowing that she ll eventually be sent to Henth.

When finally convicted and sentenced for her crimes, the bound Etrin is overwhelmed by her first contact with the men on the planet Henth. Soon transferred to the care of animal handlers, she is caged for transport along with the other exotic pets, and prepared for the auction that will determine her new owner. Once Garid purchases his new pet, Etrin goes through stages of acceptance and the relinquishment of self as she faces the strict demands required of her. Meanwhile, Garid, driven and possessive, establishes a sense of ownership strong enough that he is finally able to share her. Readers learn of Etrin's struggles in the form of first-person introspection, and Garid's as he talks with his friend Therin, another dominant.

This beautifully crafted novel delves deeply into the psychology and emotions associated with dominance and submission. Graphic sexual content.

The thing that sets Garid apart from the other "owners" is that he isn't happy with mere physical submission, he wants his slave's emotional and mental submission. He wants her to lose language, to just be an animal who responds to a few simple one-word commands.

The slave/pet had a choice of punishments for her crimes, she is the one who chose slavery on Henth. In fact, she kept getting in trouble until that became one of her options. When she learned of the option she became obsessed with the idea. Once she's on Henth though, there is no choice anymore, no turning back.

There are many similarities between Owned And Owner and As She's Told: pony play, around the clock 24/7 bondage, and most importantly, extreme orgasm denial while being almost constantly aroused. As I said in my review of As She's Told, my body would have found another way, so after a certain point the chastity belt thing didn't work for me. It worked a little better for me here, where there was still severe punishment for orgasms... but my brain wanted to argue with the book as I read that there were dildos in both holes as well as attention paid to breasts, but because the clitoris got no attention then an orgasm was impossible.

One sort of humorous part of the book -- Henth is a planet of men, with no women other than the few slaves sold there as pets (they use artificial wombs, not sure how it works, but supposedly it does). Anyway, homosexuality is the norm on Henth, so when the Owners have to admit to their families that they are *gasp* heterosexual, explain it's just the way they are wired, something they can't help, and there are worries about their jobs and such, it's kind of funny. 

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline:Taken as far as it can be taken. 3 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Probably taken farther than it should be taken, but it's fantasy and it worked for me. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Again, taken pretty far, though with some of the more extreme stuff we're just told what happens and not given a blow by blow description. Still, it gets a 3 of 3
• Extra Point: Yes, the BDSM is an intrinsic part of the story.

As for the writing elements, the plot was obviously crafted around where the author wanted to take the fantasy, but it worked well so that's okay. The pacing had issues from about 70% of the way through all the way to the end. Prose and dialogue were good, and character development worked well within the story. It's not often I talk about world-building in a BDSM book review, but there was world-building here and it was also well done.

I'm wavering back and forth between a 9 of 10 and a 10 of 10. The pacing issues were a problem for me, as was the believability with the orgasm denial where a woman can be stimulated for hours every day and yet go more than six or eight months without being allowed a single orgasm. But more than that... Owned and Owner is really just the fantasy version of As She's Told.  But, this isn't a series, so shouldn't I rate each book separately? Both books are an exploration of the psychology behind what it takes for a person to lose their autonomy, to become an object not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. And they both do a very good job of exploring this issue. They are both good books, both exploring the same subject matter from a slightly different angle.

And I had more conflict in my head with some of the events of As She's Told, where there were opportunities to stop things once they got started. But with Owned and Owner, once the decision is made to be sold on Henth, there is no going back, no way to change her mind about being a slave. It was fantasy, and thus it was easier for me to enjoy some of the subjugation when framed in the "fantasy" bubble.

So, yeah, I guess it gets a 10 of 10. It is a very well written book, after all.

Book Rating: Owned and Owner: 10 of 10
Heat Level:  5 of 5
Intensity Level:  10 of 10

You should only read Owned And Owner if you enjoy serious BDSM that includes all aspects (B&D, D/s, S&M), including heavy pain and way more control over someone than most people can come up with in their wildest imagination. If it made sense to give a higher heat level and intensity level, just to get across how intense, and how hot, things get, then I would. But the math geek in me just can't give a 7 of 5 or a 12 of 10.

I enjoyed Owned and Owner. As always, your mileage may vary.
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Bonds of Love by Mickie B. Ashling

 

Bonds of Love follows the events of Impacted. You need to read Impacted first, or the second book won't make as much sense to you. I even had to go back and skim Impacted, as there was something that had happened that I'd forgotten about, so I had to go back and look to see what had happened, refresh my memory.

I really enjoyed Impacted, and appreciated much of the BDSM dynamic between Scott and Robin. The character development was well done, and the conflict was very believable. When the story ended I didn't want it to, so of course as soon as I heard about a sequel, I was all over it.

I'm pleased with the way the BDSM relationship continues, though I wanted to see more action. Bonds of Love is more about the other things going on in their life, and the BDSM takes a back seat for the most part.

Here is the blurb for Impacted:

On his way home from vacation, Scott Gregory, a closeted sub, hooks up with the gorgeous Red, a flamboyant dom, for a thrilling one-off at a BDSM bar. They part ways after a satisfying scene…but meet again when Robin Kennedy-Red-arrives at his new job as a dental hygienist and discovers one of his bosses is Scott.

Robin and Scott embark on a journey of exploration into their kinkier sides and discover they’re more than compatible-they are a perfect match. But keeping employer/employee and Dom/sub separate at the office presents difficulties, and to make matters even more complicated, the owner of the dental practice is an acknowledged homophobe.

They fall in love, but Robin chafes at all the secrecy, refusing to live in the shadows. Scott isn’t as brave; he’s desperate to protect his job and his future. Will they be able to find some middle ground…or will their entire relationship fall apart because of fear?

And the blurb for Bonds of Love:

Getting to know each other hasn't been an easy journey for Scott Gregory and Robin "Red" Kennedy. Falling in love and exploring their kinkier sides revealed a perfect match, and Scott is a devoted sub to Red's headstrong and often impulsive Dominant personality.

Scott, Robin, and their friend, Susie, open a new dental practice a short distance from the old office but miles away from Scott's former boss and his Promise Keeper mentality. But the move doesn't guarantee a happy ending. Robin's mother is in a medical crisis. Scott's grandfather makes an unexpected appearance. Ongoing interference from Jenna, Ron's needy assistant, stirs up trouble. And Susie, having completed her training as a Dominatrix, is on a quest for the perfect male submissive.

Then there's one more threat to their relationship: Robin's desire for a public collaring, something the shy and formerly closeted Scott is having a really hard time accepting. Is a strong and binding love?albeit a kinky one?enough to keep Scott and Robin together?

BDSM elements in Bonds of Love:

• Bondage and Discipline:  Some bondage, not so much discipline. 1 of  3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes, but it's not a big part of the story this time. 2 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Again, yes - but it's not a big enough part of the story. 2 of 3.
• Extra Point: Not giving the extra point this time. 

As for the writing elements: the plot is a good one, the pacing has some issues but nothing major, the prose and dialogue are excellent, and the character development is very well done.

Book Rating: Bonds of Love: 8 of 10
Heat Level: 3 of 5
BDSM Intensity: 5 of 10

My memories of Impacted had a lot more BDSM, and a lot more intensity. It's been a while since I read it, but I believe that I enjoyed it a great deal more than I enjoyed Bonds of Love. I'm happy to have read what came next in Scott and Robin's lives, but I wish we'd seen more of their BDSM activities.


1. Impacted
2. Bonds of Love 

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Forty-Eight Hour Burn (The Service Club) by Tonya Ramagos

 

Forty-Eight Hour Burn is a fun little story with lots of yummy domination and submission, hot menage sex, and mild punishment. 

It's one of those HEA stories that moves too quickly into HEA to be believable, but it's still a hot little story.

Here's the blurb:

Georgia knows what Gavin and Randy expect in return for their touch. She’s primed and willing for the sacrifices to feel the fire these roughened, firefighter cowboys offer. Only one thing prevents her total surrender. When they ignite a burn in her that takes her to the edge of orgasmic insanity, she might change her mind.

All it takes is the right woman to have a cowboy bucking to please. Georgia is that woman for Randy, and he’s aching hard to bring on the pleasure. With only forty-eight hours to convince her to stay, he stands to lose a lifetime of crazed heaven.

Gavin figures himself a reasonable man. Fueled by desires for Georgia, he’s made it clear the erotic pleasures he plans to show her. In return, he demands total submission. Compromise isn't an option, especially when he believes she’s in danger from demons associating with him unleash.

BDSM Elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Some bondage, not a lot. A few discipline scenes, none of them very rough - mostly orgasm denial and very little physical punishment. 1 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. Two very dominant and very hot men, and one very willing submissive. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: None. They want to dominate her only where it involves giving her pleasure. 0 of 3

My intensity level is a combination of those three things added together, which gives us a 4 of 10 - I have one more point to give, based on how well the BDSM works with the story, and I'll add that point in for an intensity level of 5 of 10.

The heat level is a 4 of 5, they have really hot sex.

As for the writing elements, Ms. Ramagos does manage to put a bit of a plot into the mix, and if this is part of a series then I see a bit of a story arc being placed as well. The pacing was fine, prose and dialogue were fine, and character development was good.

• Book Rating: Forty-Eight Hour Burn: 8 of 10
• Intensity Level: 5 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

Not sure if I'll get the second book in the series or not. I'll read the blurb when it comes out, and will likely wait to read some other reviews before I make that decision.

Alive On The Inside by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks

 

I'm not one hundred percent sure what to say about Alive On The Inside. It's a seriously screwed up book, but it's been a few days since I finished it and I'm still thinking about it. I'm not sure I'd call what happens in the story BDSM. Abuse is more like it. And much of it is really over-the-top, since this is a fantasy and the participants end up magically healed. By over-the-top, I mean someone biting the head off of a dick (it regenerates in under an hour), and someone using a spoon to take someone's eyes out (those take years to regenerate, since the Phantasmagoria has a reason for it to take longer).

I'm not even going to try to explain Alive On The Inside, I'm not sure it's possible.  Here's the blurb:

Nick Harper has a nice life, a nice job, and a nice girl. Until Labor Day Weekend, when the Phantasmagoria Traveling Wonder Show comes to town. Seduced by the dark and wickedly erotic charms of both the Phantasmagoria and Torturo, a man known in the freak sideshow as The Pain King, Nick embarks on a journey of self-discovery, love, and pain. But the show is not what it seems. It changes those who come with it in ways they can never imagine, not even in their worst nightmares. And Nick's changes are just beginning...

You can see why the book appealed to me - Torturo the Pain King? A "journey of self-discovery, love, and pain"? Right up my alley. The thing is, while every word of that is the truth, there are about a thousand truths not given, and those make all of the difference.

BDSM Elements:

• Bondage and Discipline - a very small amount of bondage. The discipline happens when the bully gets mad, and then it's abuse, not discipline.
• Dominance and Submission - Yes, but I'm not sure who to call the Dom and who to call the Subs. It's not a traditional D/s relationship, but there is certainly power exchange. Though, the true power exchange is not really between our two main characters. Sort of. I can't say more than that without spoiling.
• Sadism and Masochism - Yes, though the main masochist in the story doesn't really feel pain anymore. He feels extreme pain, like getting the head of his dick bitten off, but he doesn't really feel normal pain. And the main masochist in the story sees himself as Dom. And the other masochist... like I said, much of it is abuse. Some of it isn't but... it's messed up.

As for the story elements, the plot is exceptionally well done and thoroughly twisted. There are pacing issues - but the book takes place over hundreds of years, so perhaps there are supposed to be pacing issues. Prose and dialogue are good (not great, but not really a problem, either). Character development was good, the book takes place over such a long time and the characters change so much in that time that the character development is an ongoing thing. World building is exceptional.

And the ending has a nice twist. Sort of.

I don't really know what to rate Alive On The Inside. It's a disturbing book, and it wasn't very titillating for me - as I said, the S&M stuff was over the top. It was so over the top that it didn't work for me. So the heat level is going to be a 1 of 5, though I'm thinking it may have been better to call it a titillation level. As for the main book rating, it's a well written book that still has you thinking about it after you've read it. But, I'm not all that happy that I read it. And the reading of it wasn't all that enjoyable - at a certain point is was more like a train wreck, where you just couldn't look away, even though you really wanted to. Some people call that a mark of a good book, especially horror fans, where a book has you wanting to escape it, but you can't because you need to know how it ends. I think I'm going to have to balance it all out by giving it an 8 of 10.

• Book rating: Alive on the Inside: 8 of 10
• Heat Level: 1 of 5
• Intensity level: I can't really give it an intensity level. I want to say 10 of 10, but it would be misleading. Some of it is abuse and not really BDSM, and then most of the actual S&M isn't really normal BDSM. I'll just give the warning that the S&M is way over the top, the majority of it so over the top that it was no longer hot.  

I don't know if I recommend Alive on the Inside or not. There are good parts to the book, most especially the fact that it takes place over such a long period of time (well over a century), and that we see a whole lot of growth and change in our characters over that period of time.

One thing is for sure, it had an affect on me, and it's stuck in my head and won't get out.

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As She's Told by Anneke Jacob

 

As She's Told is the story of how far you can take a 24/7 relationship. One where there are no negotiations, no safewords. We start out with the basic power exchange conundrum: If there are negotiations, then it's just a game. The submissive isn't really giving up true uncontested power, he or she is just negotiating to get what they want. A true power exchange would not have negotiations. Actual slaves don't get to negotiate.

In real life, most of us need to negotiate our hard limits, though the fantasy of not being able to do that is occasionally there. I realize there are some people who eventually get to the place where they give up all of their hard limits, but that generally happens as a process, and takes a dozen or more years. As She's Told takes place over a less than two year period of time, and by the end she is pretty much totally objectified. I don't think I'm giving spoilers by saying that, as the blurb pretty much says the same thing:

Take two caring, thoughtful individuals with some highly unusual sexuality, let their paths cross, and watch how far their obsession takes them. That's the essence of this story about an intense bdsm relationship: extreme, loving, creative, steeped in imagination, embedded in the real world. What emerges is a passionate, private sexual reality, in which the balance of power tips only one way.

Maia and Anders want nothing less than total power exchange, without games, negotiations or safewords. Any pretence is out of the question; for both of them the power relationship has to be as genuine as it is absolute, but Anders is more than aware of the risks to inexperienced Maia if she should be wrong about what she can handle. Early on, he steers a careful line between games and gobbling her up. His ownership is established step by step through conditioning, painful consequences, humiliation and constant bondage, and before long, Maia finds walking away has become inconceivable.

Anders keeps his slave increasingly 'like an animal on a very short tether' something to which she struggles to adjust, in a continuous state of terror and joy His love of technology takes some interesting turns, particularly around orgasm control, teasing and denial. The intensification of Maia's enslavement is balanced by the pair's affection, sense of humour and intelligent conversation, and by the real world of work and friends. Some of these friends become integrated into the meage one way and another, and help Anders create the setting in which Maia's uttermost submission can flower. Graphic BDSM content.

I appreciate the levels of consent that Anders keeps in place, even when Maia does not want those layers in place. While I would not want this for my life, the fantasy of it is still hot, as well as interesting on an intellectual level. And I really enjoyed hearing, feeling, and exploring the psychology of what happens to Maia as she gets farther and farther away from being a human, with the basic rights and expectations that humans have.

I also appreciated the character building that shows us that this is truly Maia's choice to be an actual slave, and that if her opinion about what happens to her were to be inquired about then it would not work for her. The whole point is that she not have a say in anything. At all. We see her struggling to accept the things done to her, see some anger at some of what is done to her, see her punished when she doesn't immediately obey. It's a very believable set up.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Oh, yes. A 3 of 3. Much bondage, both the leather and metal variety as well as the technology kind. (Think electric butt plug at a crowded music festival, so you can't get more than a foot and a half away from your master without being shocked. In public, where you can't react like you've just been shocked. That is technological bondage.) Maia is in constant bondage of one sort or another for at least a year and a half of the book. Even when she is at work she is in a corset type harness under her clothes, and, later, much more.
• Dominance and Submission: Yes, taken farther than most books take it - As She's Told is in the same ballpark as Carrie's Story, and Mr. Benson, and Story of O. Possibly even the Beauty series, though As She's Told is reality and Beauty was fantasy, as much of what was done in the Beauty series would kill someone. Still, it's the same basic emotional intensity.  D/s is 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Yes, also taken to the extreme. 3 of 3

As for the writing elements, the plot is an excellent plot - the story of how far you can take a 24/7 power exchange that, by design, allows for no negotiations or limits. This is a very long book, and there are some pacing issues, but not so much that I'm going to take any points off. The prose and dialogue are excellent, as is the character development.

As She's Told is one of those books that I will eventually need to read again. It's even one that I may pull out and read through parts of when my wonderful husband is out of town and I need... assistance.

There is one thing that bothered me, made the believability tough on me, and that revolves around female orgasm denial. Our Maia must have clitoral stimulation in order to orgasm, so her Master locks her clit up with no access to it in order to keep her from orgasming. Most women I know (who I talk to about these things) can orgasm in at least two of the three main ways we woman orgasm: clitoral, vaginal, anal. And I know someone who has been trained to orgasm when the side of her throat is stroked a few times and then her Master orders her to come. The body adapts, nerve endings re-route themselves. Just as your hearing gets better when you lose your sight for an extended period of time - if you shut down access to the nerves in the clitoris then the body will move those resources elsewhere. So while the orgasm denial worked for me at first, eventually it no longer worked for me because my body would have long since found another way. Especially since  by that point she wasn't being punished for orgasms, if she could have one she was welcome to it, Anders made it his responsibility to keep them at bay, not hers. (Select the spoiler text to view it.)

Even with that though, I'm not going to knock any points off. I'm going to give As She's Told a 10 of 10. Easily a 10 of 10.

Book Rating: As She's Told: 10 of 10
Heat Level: 5 of 5
BDSM Intensity Level: 10 of 10

Would you enjoy As She's Told?

• If objectification bothers you, then no. You would likely not. The objectification is extreme. And we see it from the Tops' point of view as well as Maia's point of view. It worked for me, but I realize there are some people who will have a serious problem with it.
• If not having a safeword bothers you, even if it is the submissive's choice to not have a safeword, then... maybe, maybe not. There are opportunities for safewords - nightly, then weekly, then monthly, then every six months, and eventually they are working towards yearly -- if you want out, here's your chance, if not then there is no chance until the next scheduled chance.
• If true punishments bother you, the kind that leaves marks that stay for weeks, or that involve putting the submissive in the cold basement in a small metal box for the better part of a day, then you probably wouldn't enjoy As She's Told.
• If you hated Carrie's Story and Safe Word or just couldn't deal with Story of Othen you won't enjoy As She's Told.

If, on the other hand, you enjoyed those books, enjoy the psychology behind objectification, enjoy punishments that are true punishments, and have a thing for pretty much constant bondage that there is absolutely no way to get out of, then by all means get As She's Told and devour it. It's a very well written, brain candy sort of book as well as... ummm, other kind of candy...  sort of book. Not one you want to read in public, unless you want to embarrass yourself.