Monday, June 23, 2014

Stripped of His Gender & Stripped of His Dignity by Anita Mandalay

All too often, authors in the forced feminization genre rush straight to the erotic fun of the gender transformation element, without really bothering to establish the character. We might get a quick opening scene that 'justifies' the transformation, but that's it. With Stripped of His Gender, Anita Mandalay invests the time necessary to understand who Anthony is, and to appreciate just why James takes so much pleasure from his transformation. More than that, she never loses sight of who he was 'before' or why his new life of sexual submission is really a sort of poetic justice.

The transformation itself is scientific bordering on magic (an experimental, instantaneous hormone treatment), but Mandalay does some interesting work with the intellectual/emotional element, exploring what that fresh flood of estrogen can do to a man. James is a bit overbearing and cruel, but there's no denying that it's fun to watch the geek get the chance to not just overcome, but completely and utterly own his bully. As for the sexual element, it's very well done, with Annie trying to fight herself as much as James and his cronies, embarrassed and ashamed by her situation, but unable to deny how much her body is enjoying it.

With the transformation complete and the relationship between James and Annie established, Anita Mandalay is able to step back a bit with Stripped of His Dignity and explore more of what it means to suddenly be a woman. The opening scenes, as Annie tries to wake up, dress, and get herself to work are something we don't generally see in the genre. She has to deal with a sexist, misogynistic world, one in which men covertly grab her ass on the train, and one where women who are complete strangers can bond over their shared experiences.

The relationship between James and Annie is developed further here, with Mandalay revealing hints as to just how long and how well James has planned his sexual revenge. With Annie already broken, he can really exert his dominance, as well as his desire to own his new secretary. It's a far more intimate relationship, and one I'm curious to see develop further. As for Annie, she is slowly coming to terms with her situation, and even gets to have a fantastic take-charge moment in the elevator with one of her abusers from the first story. Again, it's nice to see an author really think things through and explore the consequences of such a transformation, without just relying on the suddenly-a-bimbo trope.

If you're a fan of gender transformation, then you'll want to get in on this series now. Anita Mandalay is a very sexy, very smart author who does more than just arouse - she entertains.

No comments:

Post a Comment