I've been in "the scene" for a *long* time, and have (and do) lived in 24x7 D/S relationships. This book does a good job of expressing the way such a relationship *could* work, but in my opinion it's unrealistic to expect the strict adherence to protocol that this book describes in a real-life dedicated relationship. But, this is my experience - it may work well for some people.
The basic concepts - attention to the Dom/Master, behavior in various "modes", and especially how these reflect directly upon the relationship as viewed from the outside world, are dead on. A submissive needs to know the constraints within which they (he/she) is expected to behave, and although memorizing twenty-two distinct positions, with variations (not kidding) may be a bit excessive (although actually not that difficult), again, the concepts involved are sound.
In my personal life, my relationship with my submissive is much looser than is described in this "training manual", and that's largely a result of the way our relationship evolved. She might in fact welcome the degree of precision this book describes (although I doubt it), but it seems like a bit too much work for *me*. For others, it might be just right. I spent years developing my own set of protocols from scratch, and using this book as a starting point would have simplified the process significantly. Taken from that standpoint, this book is an excellent *example* of a set of protocols for a D/s relationship. (It's important to note that the author addresses this very point in his introduction; he is very aware that others may have differing and equally valid ways of developing a master/slave relationship - his is not the "one twue way".)
Throughout the book, the author emphasizes that this dance we do is a very real interpersonal human relationship. This is not the fantasy world of the "Marketplace" or "Beauty" series - or rather, it is the realization of a fantasy, but in real, practical terms that can truly serve to bring a couple closer together, as partners in life that can coexist comfortably with the real world, and actually be *more* successful than many "vanilla" relationships. I have, and do, live this lifestyle, and actually find it to be significantly healthier than the majority of "normal" couples with whom I've associated (mostly very high "quality" people...).
Getting to the more mundane and less subjective aspects of this book, it is, in a word, excellent. The production quality is first-rate, with high-quality bindings, printing, and cover. Many of the book's extensive photographs are taken by the rightfully renowned bondage photographer Ken Marcus, as well as the talented Perry Gallagher. Most importantly (to me, anyway), the book is *well written*. So many of the offerings in this arena could really benefit from the work of a good editor; either this author had one, or he's an exceptionally skilled writer - possibly both. Not only is there a total lack of grammatical errors (for which there's really no excuse in a published work), but the writing is really *good* - easy to read, easy to get to "flow", and keeps me looking forward to the next chapter.
In short, this book is definitely worth the price, both for its content and its production values. I feel that most people either interested or involved in a real D/s relationship will get quite a bit from the book, and it also looks great sitting on the coffee table. (It's not one of those huge tomes that takes over the space - it's really just the right size.) And it might even open up the conversation to an alternate way of living that's really pretty damn great!
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2018
- Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2019
Top reviews from other countries
- AndyReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2020
Good but missing one important element
