Welcome to Whore-A-Ween Haunts 2018, a 3-Day Celebration of Erotic Horror!
Today's FREE Terrorific Treat is Alpha Bundle: Post-Apocalyptic Stories of Erotic Love and Submission
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The story itself is a kinky, gender-bending take on classics like The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson) and Hell House (Richard Matheson) in which a group of skeptics gathers to spend the night in a supposedly haunted house in order to debunk its secrets. That, of course, never goes well . . . but I am getting ahead of myself.
Ann and Crystal do a superb job of introducing us to the characters, establishing their personalities, and allowing us to get to know them within the safe, sterile, very un-haunted confines of a college lecture hall. Relationships and rivalries are established, and some human tension is built before we get to the main attraction.
As for The House on Femford Hill itself, we are presented with a sprawling, century-old mansion that is suitably spooky, but cleaner and in better repair than we might expect. Already familiar with its detailed history (one of my favorite parts of the book), thanks to Professor Meyer's lecture, we have no problem imagining that such a building might be haunted. As such, the first glimpse of a ghost is, perhaps, a bit anti-climactic . . . but the realization that their artist has drawn the ghost, without realizing it, does send chills down the spine.
It does not take long for the story to start teasing us, but it is not the ghosts that are so odd, it is the clothing that mysteriously appears in previously empty closets. Everybody knows it is unusual, impossible even, but they are drawn to what they find, filled with thoughts and emotions that are not their own. Modern dresses, kinky French maid's outfits, and perfectly sized heels are one thing, but the image that struck me the most was the impossible torrent of panties pouring out of a boy's bag. It is just so surreal, and yet there is no comedy to it, just the combined fear of the unknown and terror or secrets being exposed.
The story progresses at a good pace, and all the characters have their own reactions to what is happening, ranging from angry denial to gleeful indulgence. Mental changes are soon followed by physical ones, and that is where the story diverges from classic interpretations, delving deep into fetish-fueled nightmares (or fantasies, depending on the reader) of forced feminization, female domination, age regression, mind control, and more. While there was never really any question that the house was haunted, it is the how, why, and what happens next that makes the story work so very well.
If I were to have one minor quibble with The House on Femford Hill, it is that it seems more curse than haunting, with the ghost element never really explored to its fullest. I would have loved to see a confrontation, or even an intimate encounter, irrefutable proof that the dead still walked its halls, but that does not take away from my enjoyment of the story.
Included in the book is a bonus story, Night At Sissy Manor by Crystal Summers, that clearly served as an inspiration for her collaboration with Anne Michelle. It follows a similar pattern, with a trio of boys spending the night in a house said to be cursed, and finding themselves overcome by feminine thoughts and feelings. While not as detailed, and not nearly as strong in terms of characterization, it is still a fun story that delivers a quick payoff.
Thanks for the wonderful review, Sally! :)
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