The End of the Game by Selkie TG (#genderswap #hucow #femdom)

You know that feeling, when you finally get around to reading something, and you immediately regret not doing so sooner? The kind of feeling that makes you want to bend over and beg the author to spank you for your procrastination? No? Maybe? Everything but the spanking part? Well, that is precisely what I felt after the first few pages of The End of the Game.

Selkie TG (with the assistance of Avi's gorgeous illustrations) has crafted a fabulous erotic fantasy in which the reader is the main character. Told in a present-tense, second-person point-of-view, the book immediately pulls us into the story, telling us what we are doing and what is happening to us in the moment - You smile, You look, You imagine, You feel, etc. It can be a very awkward way to tell a story but, in the right hands, it is extremely powerful . . . and Selkie has the right hands!

That narrative style is not the only thing that is unique about this. The way Selkie constructs the feminization - with the mental, physical, and emotional aspects - is wonderful. Because the reader is also the main character, the story is very carefully structured to hint, suggest, and reflect much of what is happening for us as readers, without directly telling us as characters. The nature of the magic is such that, as a character, we are unaware of the most extreme aspects of the feminization unless somebody directly points it out, but as readers we know what is happening. It makes for a delightfully entertaining tale.

Another thing that the story does really well, better than most fantasies in the genre, is explore what it means to be submissive. It is dealt with slowly and carefully, making our transition from macho harem Master hero to sexy little harem girl entirely realistic. The physical changes may be immediate, thanks to the magic, but the mental and emotional aspects take longer to come around. I loved the way an entire role or persona was so carefully deconstructed, and how we are conditioned to not only accept submission, but desire it, appreciate it, and enjoy it.

Finally, I have to say a few words about how carefully the 'why' of the story is teased and explored alongside the 'how' of it. Because it is a second-person point-of-view, we only know what our character knows, meaning we do not get the insights into other character's plans or motivations that we might expect. That leaves us very much on edge, wondering about the 'why' of it all, and trying to put together the clues along the way. As readers, we have a slight advantage, and can analyze those clues from a distance, but all that really does is heighten our curiosity.

While The End of the Game is a complete novella on its own, nearly 140 pages of erotic indulgence, it is only the first part of a much longer story, which means we can expect more delights to come!

Selkie loves reading, writing, and fantasy. He/she is very confident, but shy; a good listener who's fascinated by people and happy to talk about a wide range of things. A weirdly normal non-binary individual who wants to share some sexy speculative fiction fantasies with the world.

@SelkieTg
https://selkiesite.wordpress.com

Reviewed by Sally