Buried by Matt Shaw

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read from February 21 to 23, 2014 — I own a copy, read count: 1

Would my family betray me? Am I worthy enough to be saved? I am scared. Is this really the end of me? But I don't want to die now. These are the questions that kept playing on Todd's mind. His disorientated mind made him question his parent's love for him and his sister's loyalty to him. He regrets the things he didn't do enough to be loved and cherished by them when he was free and able.

As he lay confined in his small restrictive box he tried to piece together why is he trapped here. His memories was fragmented and poisoned by wild hallucinations which only thickens the longer he stays in the box. What is true and what is merely his cruel mind playing games with him? Even so, Todd cherished these broken memories however twisted they are as they are his sole companion to get his mind off his suffocating situation.

WHAT I LIKED
The author did a great job with the flashbacks. The flashbacks was infused with twisted hallucinations which projects the protagonist's helplessness and the his claustrophobic experience really well. So well that I started having morbid thoughts myself: like keeping a sharp tool hidden on my body just in case what happened to Todd happened to me. This book gives me cold sweat as I do have phobia of being buried alive. Such a sick way to go you know. Worst possible way really. I was all jittery even before I started reading it. I am hopeless I know.

WAS I SPOOKED?
Maybe it's because of me having high expectation before reading it and I was fully expecting to be incapacitated by fear after reading it, which is why I was pretty surprised that this isn't the case for me at all. I am not saying that I wasn't the least affected by the sufferings of the poor guy crammed into a small box. I am, hence the earlier morbid thoughts. It could be that it was told in first person's view and the environment wasn't detailed enough to rub more of the fear factor in or something.

OVERVIEW
In terms of plotting, this book nailed it. It kept me speculating throughout the story and I am glad to say I kept getting it wrong. Now that's a good thing especially when it comes to story with a mystery to solve. I also love all the mindfuckings this book dealt me and it is a good read that kept me turning the pages. I just expect a little more on the fear factor. So this is more like a 3.8 rounded up to 4 stars for me.

ABOUT THE ENDING AND IN ANSWER TO THE AUTHOR'S NOTE
I am much relieved the author didn't go with his initial idea of having a silly ending. The current ending was a good pick as it brought a whole new meaning to the story and includes some moral values as well. I liked the twist where..

Yes I liked the current ending although I don't mind...

SIDE NOTE
Thanks to this book, little-moth-me have found several films featuring this morbid theme of live burials. I am going to list them here just in case they pique your interest too:
1) Buried (2010)
2) Brake (2012)
3) CSI Las Vegas Season 5 Episode 24 & 25 (Grave Danger) - directed by Quentin Taratino  ;)

Knowing a curious cat like me, I couldn't say no to these wicked films and will absolutely be watching them slowly. I know that this wouldn't be a good idea to dispel my fear of live burials, I just can't stop myself from wanting to know more. >_<; 


I am reading this book because of this image and its blurb....

The image disturbed me a lot. Yet I couldn't help but to find it mesmerizingly beautiful.

BOOK DETAILS:
Title: Buried
Author: Matt Shaw
Publication Date: August 4th, 2012
Publisher: Indie publishing
Type: Short Story, 12,840 words (approximate)
Genre: Horror Mystery Fiction, Psychological Thriller
Tags/Keywords: coffin, buried alive, box, confinement, captivity, claustrophobia, claustrophobic, young man, suffocating, unstable mind, hallucination, cramped, mindfuck

Description:
I've stopped panicking now. Not because I'm not scared. I just know panicking won't help the situation. It'll only serve to make it worse. Need to try and remain calm for as long as possible. Control my breathing. Save my oxygen. I breathed in and coughed. The air in here is stale. I hope I'm not in here for long. Please, dad. Don't let me be here for long. Please. I started to cry. Helpless.

* * * * *

The day after his 21st Birthday Party, Todd woke to find himself trapped in a box with nothing but broken memories for company. Told through his eyes, live his fear and feel his claustrophobia as he frantically tries to piece together what happened, who buried him and why in Matt Shaw's new horror novella.

Cover Design: Yaryshev Evgeny (www.yd84.deviantart.com)(less)



* Reviewed on February 24th, 2014


*:--☆--:*:--☆:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*


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Father Figure by Kichiku Neko & TogaQ
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars for being such a Unique Taboo Read that Scrambles My Senses

Blood relation, just how important is that? How strong could that bond be? Is it possible to love a total stranger? Especially if that stranger shared an unbreakable bond with you?

Gabriel developed an unhealthy obsession with a man, a stranger he had hoped to get to know better and ultimately be loved by. Uriel was the father he had longed for ever since he was a child. He was bitter when he found out Uriel has a happy little family of his own now and a favored son two years his junior upon leaving his mom behind. He hated the other woman who took away what should have been his and his alone. No one should compete with him for Uriel's attention and affection. Uriel owed him that. And he will make sure his father understands it even if he has to hurt him in order for him to learn. Afterall as the saying goes "spare the rod, spoil the child", an ironic phrase for them but it is one Gabriel deemed as the right recourse to steer his Father's affection towards him.

What transpired between this pair of long-lost father and son upon their ill-fated meeting was supremely taboo and disturbing enough to make you feel so wrong and conflicted for even reading it, yet you will find it hard to stop. You just had to know why, why Gabriel did what he did, and to find out what would Uriel do to salvage both of them from any further destruction? Do we really owe that much to our own child? How much are we willing to sacrifice for own flesh and blood?

Love can be the most beautiful thing in this world. Love can also be the ugliest thing when directed by a distorted perception. Love can be hellish. To a man like Gabriel, to love is to possess wholly, to claim full ownership, to be kept close by his side irregardless of consequences. I am still unsure if all those vile acts Gabriel subjected on Uriel is even remotely redeemable.

Since the story is narrated all by the perpetrator himself, we would get to feel his every volatile emotion and his twisted reasoning. At times, the intensity of his insanity makes me shudder with disbelief and horror. Books of such nature fascinates me till no ends. Being in the mind of a delusional, unstable person gives our mind such a great workout. Needless to say, there's never a dull moment in this book. My adrenaline was kept high throughout the reading.

I must say, the angst in this story is just superb. It has precisely the right amount to keep me satisfied and on a constant emotional high.

Okay, to be on the blunt side, this is a taboo book and it is ILLUSTRATED. I repeat, IT IS ILLUSTRATED. The taboo acts are ILLUSTRATED. There, I got it off my chest and feeling much better already. I can assure you that TogaQ's artwork is to die for and the illustrations are aptly applied. It heighten the experience and shake up our emotion. If you wanna know, there are a total of 19 illustrations in this book. I wish I could show some of it here but I had to refrain from spoiling the story and lessening the shock effect. Plus I would hate to be flagged by those well-meaning-GR-police. I must clarify that not all of the illustrations are smutty, there are a couple of those safe-for-work types too.

If you are those who aren't easily disturbed by taboo reads that contains high level of incest with a dose of dark psychological and criminal theme, then this book should be a winner for you. Angst addict would definitely adore it too. As for those looking for sweet romance.. please look elsewhere. The only romance to be found here is an utterly twisted one.

On account of how much this story had lodged itself deep within me, a 5 stars rating is a given thing. In fact, most books that graces my 5 stars shelf are those that had left its indelible mark on me.


Side note to all: For sake of world peace and personal safety; NEVER EVER have unprotected sex, NEVER EVER forsake your own children. OR you might just find yourself reliving Uriel's nightmare.

[ I ran my fingers through his hair; it was soft. There was a kind of excitement that went through me then that felt sexual. This man was my father. He used to belong to someone else and now he belonged to me. ]

BOOK DETAILS:

Title: Father Figure
Author: Kichiku Neko (Author), TogaQ (Illustrator)
Publication Date: November 2011
Publisher: Guilt|Pleasure (Doujinshi Circle)
Type: Illustrated Novel - approximately 31,000 words, 19 illustrations
Genre:M/M, Gay, Taboo, Incest, Dominance-Submission, Noncon, Psychological Thriller, Drama
Tags/Keywords: gay, incest, taboo, dominance-submission, non-consensual, thriller, psychological, maledom, domineering male, rape, corporal punishment, caning, bodily harm, injury, murder, restraints, collar, leash, chain, hand-job, blow-job, oral sex, anal sex, rough sex, kidnap, captive, captivity, confinement, unstable mind, psychological disorder, mental disorder, obsession, stalker, stalking, voyeurism

Description:
A deep obsession with his estranged father leads Gabriel down a dangerous, twisted path.

This is an Illustrated Novel NOT a manga or graphic novel. It contains 19 illustration by TogaQ and the story was written by Kichiku Neko.



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Crazy by Cari Waites
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Read from November 17 to 18, 2013 — I own a copy

Braingasmic 5 Stars!

Braingasm feels so divine. It's SO gud, I shivers with delight.




The story leads you into a dreamscape of an unstable mind, you will never really know which is real and which is just a figment of a confounded mind.

The author has the ability to draw her readers into her character's surrounding and make them feel what they felt. Her words are focused and never excessive, just the right amount to nudge us along.

I could really feel the sense of angst and powerlessness displayed by Drew the protagonist, it gave me such thrills and lovely goosebumps. Makes my heart squeeze with just the right amount of empathy not interfering with my deviant side wishing for more distressing situations for Drew.

If rape and suicide is a trigger for you, be forewarned then. The suicide attempt scene was almost poetic the way it was presented. On the other hand, the rape scene was quite intense and real. Made me wanted to gouge the perpetrator's eyes out, step on it, squish it to pulp.

In short, this book is DEFINITELY for me. Half the time while reading it, I was fretting over when that kinky straitjacket on that cover is going to ever come into play or will it not be at all? Gasp, I would have been devastated if the latter was the case. You see, I have an obsession with bondage, the stricter it is the better it was for me. I was saved from my impending depression when Ms. Waites delivers a highly stimulating straitjacket bondage sex scene combine with a sling harness to boot! Oh, how I love her.

So okay with the kinky stuff, the next point which appeals to me was the Asylum/Mental hospital setting which incidentally was another fascination of mine too.

Hence, how could I not love this book? It has such an appealing and potent combination with just the right formulation for me:

[Asylum] + [Straitjacket] + [Drugging] + [Noncon/Dubcon] + [Sinister Doctor] = Lovely amount of Angst and Powerlessness
- End Result: a one way ticket to Cloud9 forever

Actually, what further cemented a 5 stars rating was the ending. It was non-stereotypical as it dares to be different yet staying true to the story and its theme.

Ms. Waites has once again delivered another memorable piece of dark erotica. Her previous work, Gamble Everything was also a fine example of quality dark erotica. To me, Ms. Waites has successfully captured the essence of dark erotica; It's arousing yet so wrong on many levels.

It is rare to find good dark erotica that stays true to its theme. Most would just plaster on a HEA/HFN no matter how unnatural it was for the story and worst off, some turned downright fluffy at the end! There are also those with the misconception that being dark and erotic means torture porn all the way. I find it hard to be aroused when the other party isn't the least bit enjoying it that's why I find forced seduction to be the best balance.

If you love dark, all-shades-of-wrong kind of noncon cum borderline dubcon stories, this is for you.

They said I was crazy. I said they were crazy. They outvoted me.

Drew thinks he isn't crazy just outvoted by those around him even his own parents. I'll let you be the judge of it.





BOOK DETAILS:

Title: Crazy
Author: Cari Waites
Publication Date: November 15th, 2013
Type: Short story, 8,370 words (approximate)
Genre: M/M, Gay, Erotica, Contemporary, BDSM, Dominance-Submission, Noncon/Dubcon
Tags/Keywords: gay, erotica, rough sex, bondage, bdsm, noncon, dubcon, dominance-submission, hand-job, blow-job, maledom, humiliation and degradation, virgin, rape, suicide attempt, straitjacket, sling harness, cuff-restraints, drugging, taboo, asylum, mental hospital, mental-illness, psychological disorder, young man, anal sex, oral sex, handjob, mindfuck, humiliation-degradation, realistic, reluctant-forced, restricted-freedom, erotic, darkfics, forced-seduction, captivity-confinement, angst

Description:
Drew's not crazy. The dreams he has at night of his doctor restraining and dominating him can't be true. Just because he's a patient in a mental health facility doesn't mean he's crazy. Right?

This 8200 word short contains explicit content, including: m/m, dubious consent, oral and anal sex. All characters are aged over 18 years.


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Previous Comment on November 16th, 2013: Click to expand (non-spoiler)

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