Review: The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2 by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Title: The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: December 19th 2017
Source: Cleis Press


Book Description:

Whether you are simply curious about submission or regularly revel in the delights of BDSM, these sixty-nine erotic short stories about submissives will turn you on! From participating in a musical recital that takes a very kinky turn to making a grocery run while using sex toys to indulging in a risqué office encounter during working hours, these subs delight in obeying (or deliberately disobeying) their masters and mistresses in public and in private. They are rewarded and punished in the most wicked of ways that will leave you breathless. Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, with stories by Selena Kitt, Jade A. Waters, Dorothy Freed, and Sommer Marsden among other talented writers, The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2 offers arousing tales that delve deep into the thrills of spanking, bondage, power dynamics, service, exhibitionism, erotic adventure, and much more.

Review:

★★★★ ★

Rachel Kramer Bussel and Cleis Press have done it again. It's no secret that I absolutely adore these erotica anthologies. This one is no exception- in fact, The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2 goes above and beyond. There's so much erotic goodness to unpack here.

As mentioned, this is an anthology of erotic stories, the connecting theme of which is submission. There are 69 stories total. People tend to think of submission and domination as strictly black and white, perfect puzzle pieces. But this book just goes to show that if you ask 69 people what "submission" means to them- you will get 69 very different interpretations. Which is good news for us, since it ends up producing books like this one.

Submissives of so many different types get a story here. This is hands down the most inclusive erotica (anthology or otherwise) that I have ever read. There are switches. There are dominant Females both with men and with women. There are Dominant males, both with men and with women. In some instances, there's more than those two in the scene. There are some that fit into neither gender category. There are people of color. There are those who are young or new to the idea of BDSM. There are those who are more experienced (such as a grandmother) and those who have been in the scene a long time, sometimes even professionally. There are different body types; those who are small, or curvier, or scarred, or surgically affected. They have representation of so many folks here, it's awesome. Proof that not all erotica is a stuffy white hetero dude in a suit and a doe eyed brunette who has no idea what's going on. *cough* moving on.

As for kinks, there is absolutely something for everyone. Kinks for days, my friend. Including some very specific ones that I enjoy that I did not expect to see. (But which ones? That's up to you to figure out, a lady never tells unless we're Fetlife friends). Here's a very oversimplified list of some of the things you can expect in the way of kink: BDSM (obviously), bondage, rope, training, power struggles, pet play, spanking, a host of different toys, affairs, pegging, role play, blades, gender play, tickling, different time periods, accents/language, food, and strangers. There's bound (pun intended) to be something on this list that sets off your fires.

There are some stories that focus heavily on the connection or romance between characters, so if you're more vanilla-minded don't be scared away!

The few issues I had with this anthology are pretty standard comments about anthologies. Namely, they won't all be winners to everyone. There are some kinks that are not my kinks (and that's okay!) so I didn't enjoy them as much. There are some names/titles/euphanisms that turn me off. There are some writing styles that I just don't enjoy. But the good thing is that in 69 stories, the ones I enjoyed far outweighed the ones I did not.

Plus, each story is completely independent of the other stories, so you can scan or skip or delay the stories you don't think you'll enjoy, without effecting story lines or anything like that.

Rather than talk about all 69 stories and their negative and positive traits, I'm going to highlight my three favorite stories from this collection.

The first is "Chased by the Wolf" by Mischa Eliot. It involves a male Dominant and a female submissive, a costume party, collaring, and a Predators and Prey themed party hosted at the zoo. This party- where dominants dress as predators, and submissives as prey- sounds like one I would absolutely go to. The writing style is playful but alluring, and stands out to me because of costuming and event type.

The second story is called "My Girl, My Boy, My Enby" by Annabeth Leong. The pairing in question here involves a female Dominant, and a submissive who is gender non-binary, who has "girl days" and "boy days" and "non-binary days". This stands out to me because it is honestly the first erotica I have ever read that has a non-binary character in it. And that means the world to me. My fiance is NB, so I was more into, more connected to this story and it set off sparks I didn't know I had. Well done you. It felt very intimate while still being dirty, it was a good balance.

The final story I'd like to highlight is called Oktoberfest Addiction by Roxanna Cross. It involves a male Dominant and a female submissive. It also involves Oktoberfest, risque themed outfits, hair ribbon bondage (fantastic idea), and German mustard in some very interesting places. I like women in dirndl dresses, food, and Germany. Sue me. It was very fun to read, and again the tone was a bit playful and a bit cheeky. It sounded like a fun festival that I'd love to be a part of.

Some other 5 star stories that get a shout out include "Metamorphosis" by Emanuelle de Maupassant (books, public play, libraries), "Imago" by Anna Sky (tattoo guns), "Cari's Recital" by Rod Harden (ha) [public play, bondage, piano], and "Apprendimento" by Kathleen Tudor (punishment, clothes pins, f/f).

All in all this book is one that has a secure place on my erotica shelf. It's such a mixed bag (in a good way!) of different stories and pairings and fantasies and even time periods. It's like hitting "shuffle" on my dirty thoughts, and that's a great thing.

If you're a fan of BDSM, erotica, RKB's other anthologies, or even sex in general, there's something in this book for you.

Thanks to Cleis Press who gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.