The magic dust has settled and the lube has dried…Alison’s Wonderland Pt. 2

I gave myself another few days with Alison's Wonderland and they were days well spent. Sometimes when I read themed erotica I worry that the subject matter will take over and the erotica will get lost while trying to connect the two. Thankfully, this was not the case here.

I finished up this collection with a sigh of satisfaction and I've already reread some of my favorites. When last I left you, I'd only ventured through Moonset. Now I have to collection as a whole to draw on and complete the review.

I read Alison's Wonderland just as you would read a collection of fairytales. Which, is to say I read them before bed every night. Each tale reminded me of the fairy tale it was about, but with a new face to the characters. Little Red of Riding Hood fame became Ruby, and the Wolf who had big teeth became Wolff, the bartender with the same big teeth, but now he had multiple jobs…running a bar, running a tow truck service, and screwing Red (Ruby). The old woman who lived in a shoe with so many children and didn't know what to do morphed into the late thirties female exec who sublet her apartment to two male tenants who she doesn't know what to do with; however, it doesn't take her long to come up with something to keep them occupied.

The second half of the book solidified the intricate blending of fable and erotica. In Gold, On Snow, voyeurism vies with revenge as the Queen watches her nemesis Snow White with her dwarves and plots her downfall; while Heidi Champa reminds us in After the Happily Ever After that even in fairytales you have to succumb to reality eventually. The editor's own Rings on My Fingers, was a wonderful penultimate tale, where her characters seem to embody what the collection itself is about; turning the traditional ideas of what will make you happy on its head and learning to ignore those who will try to change that.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a love of fairytales and a passion for flying in the face of tradition. Go job Alison. An eccentric blend of tradition and erotic, what is right versus what is right for you.

BV

It’s not always about the sex

Yes, I do read erotica...problem?

I typically don't get offended when someone raises and eyebrow at what I'm reading. This begs the question, then why am I blogging about it? And the short answer is because I'm going to put out there for anyone who cares to know that it's not always about the sex.

I'm used to people finding problems with the cover (too much nudity), the subject matter (too much sex) or the author (who's that, what literary prize have they won?). I've built up a callous to the remarks that I get and I even have a few zingers that I will happily trade for those who overstep the boundaries in providing an opinion on what I'm reading. The easy answer is that I like a happy ending, but a better answer comes from Alison's Wonderland:

        "…we all love a happy ending (traditional or otherwise), especially when the characters turn out to be kinky."

And now I take off on a tangent.

I love it when the web universe coincides with what I'm blogging on. As I was writing this I ran across the recent SmartBitches post on Porn vs. Romance and I realized that in some cases when people in my life voice their concerns with what I read, I feel the need to explain to deaf ears why romance or erotica is not always about the sex. That's not to say I don't enjoy reading the sex scenes, because I do, but I also enjoy the interaction between the characters and the plot. Any of the authors in my must read pile: Shelley Laurenston/G.A. Aiken, Larissa Ione, Megan Hart, Lauren Dane, Jaci Burton. Lora Leigh, Lisa Lawrence, and Zane, all provide this. They build the relationship between their characters and create a universe for them to play in that offers a slice of life that I'm looking for at that time. I've even witnessed cases where the SEX itself is its own character, with idiosyncrasies of its own that must be navigated just as carefully as matters of the heart. 

And now to reign it in.

 

People read what they do because they like it. The reasons behind it don't matter. I'm done with explaining myself, but I'm pretty sure I'll never be done with people giving me the side eye. For that I'll take the more childish route and hope that their face doesn't stick that way.

BV

 

"Sometimes all that's needed is a little magic dust -- and a bit of lube" - Alison's Wonderland Pt. 1

Alison Tyler's Alison's Wonderland is an erotic romp through classic fairytale.  While I have read my fair share of kinky fables this collection has given me a new perspective of what the Brother's Grimm and Hans Christen Anderson could have meant with their cautionary tales.  And like the children and women they meant to heed their warnings I dove right into the collection without a worry for my libido's safety.

 

I broke this review into two parts because I'm doing something I haven't done with an erotic collection; I'm savoring it.  Each new tale from The Red Shoes (Redux) to Moonset, gives the reader a brief glimpse into what a modern day version would be like.  The first 12 stories boldly move from one fable to the next.  They beckon to the reader to come dance in the red shoes, that "clasped her feet like the hands of a lover," or be punished by Ernest, the bookseller in the most delicious of ways.  Become Beauty and bring the Beast to his knees or let the moon change your roles.  The characters are boldly written and I found in Portia DaCosta's Unveiling His Muse the height of obsession bought to a stimulating sexual peak by having your muse walk out of your work and into your life.  

Thus far the collection is a distinct mix of fantastical and modern, keeping the reader intrigued in how the story will play out, while remembering how the story used to be.  I'm glad I chose this collection as my first book to review and I look forward to finishing this in small bites and not one big gulp.