With the end of the year upon us, it's time to gather a few reviews for my December reads.
The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan
This was a cover-appeal read, catching my eye with that black-and-blood-red sword, bolstered by a reviewer who called it "Witcher meets Lord of the Rings, if both combined were a D&D campaign."
All-in-all, it was good read, a solid fantasy with great atmosphere and some really cool ideas, but it had 3 weaknesses that held it back from being a great read.
- The pacing was slow, with a lot of filler and exposition dragging things down. It felt like the book was half over before the plot really began to develop.
- The story is character-driven, which could have made up for the pacing, but none of the characters were likeable/interesting. So much of the story hinges on loyalties, alliances, and friendships, but I had a hard time connecting with anyone.
- The final twists, revelations, and betrayals are piled on too fast, too thick, and too late to really have an impact. There's no time to think or react before the next one lands, and because of the character issue, it all feels coldly impersonal.
I'd say there's a 50/50 chance I'll continue with book 2.
The Cucksitter Training by B.J. Frazier
Although the title feels a little misleading, in that this has more to do with female domination and little to do with cuckoldry, I love what B.J. Frazier crafted here and how she develops the story, framing it with a teasing confession between friends - one newly kinky and the other not as vanilla as she appears.
Offered a mysterious internship with very little detail, Nora arrives at Professor Emery Hagan's home, not sure what to expect - and certainly not expecting a naked male servant and a professor who is as much a dominatrix as a professor. Under the professor's guidance, she finds herself trained in the psychology of dominance and submission, learning to undertake the physical component of the Professor's therapy.
The first half of the book serves as an elegant primer on dominance and submission, emphasizing consent, communication, and psychological understanding. Through Nora's training, Miss Frazier explores chastity, teasing, denial, humiliation, and punishment as carefully orchestrated expressions of female control that tap into submissive psychology. It's in the second half where Nora comes into her own, left to take care of one of the Professor's submissives for the weekend, leading to an act of pegging that triggers her full-fledged immersion in this strange new world.
This is a story that's equal parts thoughtful, erotic, educational, and sensual. As much as it's a story of power and control, it's also a story of freeing oneself from the baggage of our past.
Sissy Stepbrothers by Crystal Veeyant
Precisely what you would expect from the deviant pen of Crystal Veeyant, Sissy Stepbrothers is a trashy, taboo tale of self-discovery, coming out, embracing your sexuality, and finding your place despite the challenges life throws in your way.
Part of what I loved about this story was how Crystal develops Ron and Eddie as individuals, one a sissy who wishes she could be more, and the other a femboy who is content with being accepted somewhere in the middle. There's no forced feminization or sudden leap into femininity, just the bold embrace of long-suppressed identity.
Of course, nothing goes smoothly in one of these stories, but everyone we cross paths with has a role to play in the journey of these two sissies. From a friendly trucker and his kinky bunkmate to leaders of the Russian mob, there's some darkness to the story, twists and challenges that test the stepsisters' commitment to their new lives, and that means lots of nasty, dirty, fetish-fueled sex.
New readers could be forgiven for fearing the worst of this, but Crystal always finds her way to a HEA, even if it may not be your personal idea of a happy ending.
From Pool Boy to Party Girl by B.J. Frazier
For Milos, this is a story about the profound joy of being truly seen, accepted, and loved for who you really are—even when discovering that embracing your true self requires courage, trust, and transformation. It's very much a story of coming out, a deeply affirming experience of watching him experiment with feminine expression for the man who has coaxed him into this new world.
Meanwhile, for Sebastian, this is a story of pursuit and seduction, tempered by restraint as he looks to avoid making the same mistakes that have alienated other lovers. He's been watching Milos for three years, waiting with careful patience, a slow seduction that could read as predatory but is saved by genuine romance. Sebastian doesn't merely pursue; he guides, supports, and cherishes.
The emotional and psychological complexity of Miss Frazier's story deepens as their bond intensifies, the power exchange between them growing taut, stretched almost to breaking, as Milos becomes more comfortable with his identity and begins pushing back, pursuing what he wants from the relationship - and which Sebastian is so reluctant to provide.
And then comes the party, a sad glimpse into the dark, unethical side of the kink community. Here, the story confronts uncomfortable truths: how erotic power dynamics can be weaponized, how trust can be exploited, how the structures meant to create safety can enable abuse. I was deeply uncomfortable with this part of the book, but it's important to the overall journey. It's this darkness that forces Sebastian to confront what he truly wants.
I deeply loved Milos and his journey, his exploration, and his growth. He's just wonderful, and even for all his faults, Sebastian is a dreamy lover-turned-partner who ultimately chooses connection over control.
And that's it for 2025. Here's to a new year full of great books with amazing characters and the kinds of stories we want to become lost in.
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