Spanking A to Z — G is for Girlspell

G is for Girlspell

I found it surprisingly difficult to come up with something for the letter G. Yes, there are the usual suspects (both of which I love): ginger — as in ginger figging — and of course, gags. But others have blogged about those already — and much more effectively, at that:) So, I was left wondering what else might fit under G.

I love to read, and I love to do reviews (something I wish I had more time to do), so I went to the way-back machine, and decided to highlight a little known work of erotica by the very talented British author, William Avon.

Mr. Avon is one of a cadre of excellent UK authors who published some very hot BDSM fiction in the 1990s and early 2000s, many of them with the publisher Silver Moon (and its “softer” offshoot, Silver Mink). Sadly, it appears Silver Moon is no longer a going concern, and I see that many of their titles are now being published by a company called Cambridge House Publishing LLP. I’d love to find out more about this publisher (and see what these authors are up to), but the publisher appears to have zero web presence:/

That’s another subject for another time…

Where was I? I remember checking Silver Moon’s website constantly, hoping to see an update of their publication schedule with its tease of upcoming releases, and William Avon was one of my favorites. His best work, in my opinion, is a wonderful work of alternate history erotica titled The Girlspell. The premise of the book is one of my favorites in erotic fiction — the alternate history/timeline setting. I love these types of set-ups because it gives the author more or less free rein when it comes to issues of plausibility, consent, force, etc. It’s all possible, because society — even reality itself — is fundamentally different from our own known world.

In this book, most of the story takes place in an alternate England where sexual slavery (mostly of females) is not only still practiced, but has been enshrined into law. There are multiple heroines who, for varying reasons, find themselves transported from our own modern world, to an alternate world where they find their circumstances have suddenly become rather … dire.

What I loved about the book (and Avon’s work in general) is that while it’s very, very kinky, and fully explores many hardcore BDSM practices, the book itself never gets too harsh, and while it is fundamentally non-consent oriented in general plot, the author presents it in a way that makes it not only plausible, but avoids brutalizing the women caught in this world’s clutches. It’s erotica yes, but it’s positive (and even at times, loving) enough that I think adventurous erotica and erotic romance readers might really like it. The writing itself flows well, the plot is original and well-crafted, and the characters — and there are many memorable ones — are vivid, sympathetic, and interesting. Oh. and last but definitely not least, the book is fucking HOT.

I hope you’ll take a chance on this very talented author.

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(Cover image from the Amazon.com listing)

Blurb

Three girls each stumble across a mysterious case that contains……something! A something they feel compelled to use on themselves. And when they do they find themselves in a strange alternative reality where female slavery is very much alive and well. One of the girls is a policewoman, one of the others a thief. How their interlinking fates play out makes for one of the most absorbing and erotic novels we’ve ever published!

Purchase Links

Amazon

Amazon UK

Nook

(PS — If there are any former Silver Moon authors out there reading this, I’d love to hear from you. I’d like to see if you’re still writing, and if you are, what you’re releasing for us fans next!)

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Well, as usual, I am WAY the hell behind on posting for this challenge. I hope you’ll hop on over to some of the other stops on this epic blog challenge:) Happy reading!