At Mother's Command by Kay Brandt (#femdom #erotica)

At Mother's Command may very well be the most intriguing opening to a fetish-themed story that I have ever read. Kay Brandt has really stepped outside the normal confines of the genre to explore the real-world implications (and consequences) of a BDSM lifestyle.

It all begins, rather oddly, with a young woman approaching her 18th birthday. Although it is clear her parents love her, their relationship seems rather cold and distant, with absolutely no displays of affection between them. She worries that they are headed for a divorce, but the truth of the situation is something for which she cannot possibly prepare herself.

The story is something of a dark twist on the fairy tale themes of adoption and secret legacies - only Max's mother isn't a Queen, she is a Grand Dominatrix . . . and her parents are not 'normal' surrogates trusted to raise her, they are lifestyle submissives entrusted with their Mistress' child. As you can expect, there is a lot of heavy emotional turmoil here, complete with all the fears, sense of betrayal, and uncertainty you would expect.

That is only half the story, however. The other half takes place in Sumera's private BDSM retreat, where Stella and Rocco are free to resume their submission, while slowly introducing Max into this strange new world of collars, leashes, and commands. It is something of a guilty pleasure to be enjoying the erotic aspects with all of that background turmoil, and it definitely feels strange to take such voyeuristic pleasure in Sumera's sexual dominance, knowing her daughter is huddled a on the other side of the mansion, feeling scared and betrayed, but Brandt juggles it all perfectly. In fact, I would say the relationships in this story are exquisite, with the overlapping of worlds awkwardly fascinating, while the erotic aspects are quite sumptuous.

All those contrasts do come a head in the end, leading to an unexpected confrontation that really opens the next chapter to ever deeper, more intricate emotional complexities.

Kay Brandt is a seductive storyteller, award-winning adult filmmaker and bestselling author, delivering a passionate blend of story and explicit, graphic content. Kay's current creative passions include writing/directing a new genre of adult films based on erotic books.

@jewelboxfilms

Reviewed by Sally