Human Dollification: The Maskerade Ball In DC by Mandy De Sandra

Regular benders of the bookshelf will remember very well the week we dedicated to female masking not so long ago. It was a ton of fun, with some great reads that really opened my eyes to a new facet of transgender expression. It's also a sub-genre of transgender fiction that introduced me to a more fetish-oriented offshoot, that of human dollification.

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We actually kicks things off with the same story that wrapped up our female masking week, and which first planted the seeds for our exploration of human dollification.

The Maskerade Ball In DC is a story I've had lingering on my Kobo for quite some time now, so I'm very glad I finally had an excuse to give it a read. This was, perhaps, the most down-to-earth, touching, and magical book I read for my fictional forays into female masking and human dollification. Mandy De Sandra has woven an absolutely wonderful tale here with a delicious amount of detail.

John is a normal man, who has never wanted to be a woman, but who has always longed to be a doll. He's not interested in 'passing' as a woman or fooling anyone with his appearance, and he's not trying to use the illusion of femininity for any sort of purpose. He likes the fact that his mask and bodysuit look artificial, that they look plastic, and that they look like . . . well, a doll. More than that, he loves the feel of being inside the suit, cut off from any physical sensations outside the suit. Whereas most stories fantastize the technology and come up with clever ways of transmitting sensation through plastic or latex, John is quite content to share a doll's lack of sensation.

It's this ability to embody the mask that gets him invited to an exclusive ball where other maskers exist to be played with by Washington's elite. They really are expected to just lie there and take it, and that's fine for almost all involved. Without spoiling the twists that carry the story through to a romantic, fantastic end, let's just say John's commitment to his alter-ego Vanessa is at the heart of the tale, and that his commitment to being (and being treated like) a doll is admirable.

The Maskerade Ball In DC certainly explores the fetish side of human dollification, but it does so in an honest, straightforward manner that's quite refreshing. I can absolutely see the appeal in wearing and being Vanessa, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect ending.

Reviewed by Sally