Bob Milne

I'm one of those strange people who can, quite literally, never go anywhere without a book. My Goddess is rather fond of telling people that I won't even walk to the corner store without a book in my hand, which is absolutely true. I can't even wait in line at the drive through without reading a page or two!

While I'll read (and review) just about anything I can get my hands on that interests me, I'm naturally drawn to genre fiction (fantasy, horror, and science fiction). It's the power of imagination that intrigues me, and the ability to tell stories about things that have never been, and might never be. I prefer fiction that is female-authored or female-led/dominant, have a passion for trans/non-binary identity and expression, and adore submissive exploration of the romantic/erotic power exchange.

When I’m not reading or writing, I’m usually stalking around abandoned, dark and decrepit, hard-to-find places with a camera in hand, looking for that unique perspective not shared by another soul for decades . . . or even centuries. I believe every place has a tale to tell, and a unique character that can only be found in the beauty of its ruins.

Twitter: @BeautyInRuinsCA
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/bobrmilne/
Blog: http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/

• Absolution on June 07, 2012
  
  Louis Corsair's Absolution is an unusual novel, a 1940s pulp detective novel, transported to present day LA, and coloured with the trappings of an urban fantasy. It's an awkward mingling of genres that shouldn't work, but which he manages to pull off. The story starts with a bang - literally - as Raymond Adams is shot dead in an investigation gone wrong. From there we're transported to a kind of limbo, complete with a supernatural attendant, before he's called upon to make a temporary return to the land of the living in order to investigate a supernatural death. If I had one problem with the novel, it's that the mythology behind the tale (which is pretty heavy) is simply dropped on the reader. As a reader whose knowledge of all things spiritual pretty much begins with Dawkins and ends with Hitchens, I'm not sure how much of the mythology is canonical and how much is imagined, but I definitely felt lost for the first few chapters. Corsair offers enough tidbits for the reader to get by, but I do wonder if perhaps I missed something. That one quibble aside, this is a story that works very well. There's just enough culture shock for Adams to ring true, without being too comical, and his deadpan gumshoe narration comes across as authentic. The range of characters is just as unsavoury as you'd expect from such a tale, complete with the proverbial stripper with a heart of gold to keep the detective on track. Jenn was definitely an interesting character, one who seemed to go along with all the weirdness a bit to easily, but who does get her WTF moment later on. This is a genuine whodunit, an old fashioned mystery that keeps you guessing. The twists and turns are genuine ones, honestly presented to the reader as Adams comes in contact with them. There's no feeling that the author is holding back or cheating the reader, and the joy of working the case alongside Adams keeps the story going. While there are some horrific moments, and some instances of questionable morals, Corsair is generally content to show and not tell. He's economical with his words, never wasting the narration on details that are not integral to the plot . . . or of interest to Adams. All-in-all, an unusual novel that works better than I expected.
  
• Infection on June 01, 2014
  
  While Infection is not without its flaws, it's a solid, entertaining story that delivers on its basic premise. Really, the initial concept of the missing sister is something we've all read before, but even if other authors have toyed with the idea of a dark fetish cult, Bloom gleefully embraces that dark potential. I won't spoil the demonic nature of the dominatrix who leads the cult, but I will say that the way in which she (and her impossible club) is explored is quite remarkable. There's a lot of build-up to this story, and it's done well, creating as much dread as suspense. Bloom keeps the erotic elements largely off-the-page for most of the story, making them that much more effective when they do finally bleed through. The characters have some personality to them, the dialogue is decent, and it's clear from the visual descriptions that Bloom is a taste for the fetish side of things. I also found it quite clever the way she plays with the duality of piercings and body modifications, driving home the unsettling aspect with the supernaturally-driven impulses, while successfully demonstrating the side which arouses and intrigues. It's a shame that the story just stops, with so much potential left unexplored, but I'd definitely be up for checking out the impending sequel.
  
• Rubberwerks on June 04, 2014
  
  Darkly imaginative and erotically sinister, Rubberwerks is a horror tale that owes as much to the old adventure serials as to the slasher flicks of the 80s and 90s. It all starts with a group of young hikers who discover a mysterious building buried deep in the Amazon jungle. Cold, forbidding, and abandoned, it's incongruity amid the jungle foliage is something they cannot resist. Once inside, they quickly discern its ugly origins as a long-forgotten home to secret Nazi experiments. Despite her own advice to the group about always staying together, Christine wanders off into into the heart of the complex, where she encounters the rubbery black goo that is destined to destroy them. Bloom quickly builds a fantastic setting here, with Christine's exploration contrasted by Clay's perusal of the Nazi files -which contain just enough identifiable words and chillingly erotic black-and-white photos to convince him that they need to get out - and fast. Unfortunately, by that point Christine has already slipped and fallen, accidentally trailing her fingers through the black goo, which quickly proceeds to seal her in its black, skin-tight, latex embrace. Her transformation is as chilling as it is erotic, particularly with the way in which Bloom describes her frantic efforts to wipe away the burning, tingling, corrosive goo, only to have it spread even faster, consuming her mind even as it drives her body to new heights of ecstasy. It will come as no surprise to fans of the genre that the group is quickly overrun by the goo, leaving the survivors to flee towards the nearest village in a desperate attempt to save their friends and stop the spread. There, the story only gets more chilling as they discover the true origins of the goo, with the Nazis having resorted to desperate experiments on their own people to turn the tide of the war. It's a smart, imaginative source of horror, that Bloom pairs nicely with its erotic, sensual spread. Forget mindless, shuffling zombies - the hive mentality of Bloom's faceless, featureless latex dolls makes Rubberwerks a fetishly fantastic read.
  
• Inferno: Transmission on July 13, 2014
  
  While Infection had its flaws, it was a solid, entertaining story, and one that delivered on its core premise. It left so much potential left unexplored, I knew I'd be up for a sequel, and Lyka Bloom was quick to deliver. Inferno: Transmission picks up a few weeks after the close of the first chapter, with Julia still an unwilling captive of the dangerously seductive Lilith, and Dennis having spent his time putting together something of a vigilante team to take the monster down . . . and, if possible, rescue Julia (although nobody holds out much hope for her after all this time). The recap of the last few weeks, along with the introduction to Dennis' crew is well-done, giving the story the feel of a slasher-flick revenge tale. "the scent of her filling his nostrils, something like he imagined grave dirt must smell after an amorous and adventurous couple consummated their love upon corpse-strewn earth" I love that description - it captures the demonic nature of Lilith so well. We don't get any further insights into her origins (I'd love to know her origins), but we do discover what the blood-thirsty dominatrix has in store for humanity. Like most monstrous leaders, she has her sights set on nothing less than world domination - and, as we discover, she has both the smarts and the means to set her plans in motion. That plan isn't fully revealed until the closing pages, but it does make for a fantastic cliffhanger. "Freedom from choice, from decision, from the morality that's bound you for so long. I will wrap you in glorious obedience and divine pleasure, Toy." In between those flashbacks and the cliffhanger, we get a surprisingly effective tale of erotic horror that truly gets under your skin. Bloom deftly explores the nature of dominance and submission, with some really interesting commentary on our most dangerous dreams of being freed from the need to take responsibility for our actions. Even though she know how evil Lilith is, and have seen how her followers suffer physically, there's no denying the allure of the freedom she offers. All-in-all, Inferno: Transmission was a great read, and more than a worthy follow-up to Infection. There's clearly bigger, darker, more dangerous thrills awaiting us, and the next chapter is guaranteed a spot on my must-read list.
  
• Ordeal on May 20, 2016
  
  Is there anything sweeter in this world than poetic justice? Anything more deeply fulfilling than watching some despicable human being get their just deserts? Anything more satisfying than seeing some piece of garbage get what's coming to them? Well, the moral of Ordeal is more cautionary then celebratory, but it still makes for one hell of a guilty pleasure. Wol-vriey tells us the story of a man named Jack and a woman named Gina, two lonely lovers who meet beneath the street corner lights. Jack is a monster who likes to watch women suffer, getting off on the terror in their eyes when he rapes and murders them. His plans for the hooker with the movie star looks are just about as dark as you'd expect . . . but child's play compared to what she has planned for him. This is a dark and twisted real, full of despicable violence and pain. Jack is a simple man with simple tastes, a monster and a villain without a single redeeming quality. As such, it's hard to feel even an ounce of compassion or sympathy for what he is forced to endure. As for Gina, she may be a monster and a villain herself, but she is also a complex human being. Her obsessive-compulsiveness is both unnerving and humorous, but it's her desperate need for love that makes her truly fascinating. I won't spoil the fun - it's free, so give it a read yourself - but this is a book of layers, one with a really interesting contrast between order and chaos, and some deeper significance beneath the violence. It's a fun, brutal read that will also make you think.
  
• The Room on April 07, 2017
  
  I appreciate it when a story surprises me, playing against all expectations, and keeping me on my toes. When Brian C. Copper sent me a copy of The Room for review, I thought I knew what I was in for, but those expectations barely scratched the surface. This has an odd sort of feel to it, more like a quirky cult drama than a bondage-themed erotic novel. David is a mysterious gentleman, unfailingly polite, friendly, and charitable . . . yet someone you most certainly do not want to cross. He is also powerful, confident, and self-assured. I'm not sure if Copper was deliberately trying to play against some of the darker stereotypes of mainstream fiction, but if this was a prime time drama, you'd almost expect him to be revealed as a serial killer. He's not - don't worry, this is not that kind of story - but there's a heavy atmosphere of mystery and secrecy that's often unsettling. The structure of the novel was a bit jarring a first, but once you settle in and understand how it's being told, it flows quite nicely. The primary plot thread involves the slow seduction and mastery of Max, a policeman stranded by the snowstorm, but there other men (and other relationships) woven into the story as we go along. These side-sessions, so to speak, do as much to build upon the mystery as they do to reveal anything about David. It soon becomes apparent that he is a man with a wide influence, and one who is just as adept at casually dominating in public as erotically dominating in the well-equipped basement dungeon. This is what I would call erotica for the mind, a story that plays with thoughts and emotions, but which is half over before there's any actual sex. There is a lot of sensuality before that point, all wrapped up in a heavy power-exchange, but it's not the kind of whips-and-chains domination you might expect. Again, a lot of what David does it all in the head, testing his subjects' senses to see what they are willing to endure in his name. For instance, there is a prolonged scene that involves nothing more than extremes of temperature, but it is powerfully done. The Room itself is far more than just a dungeon playroom, it is also something akin to an interrogation room or a cell, albeit one where cruelty and compassion are intimately intertwined. Again, it plays against expectations, making you question your assumptions about these encounters, but its influence creates some genuine romance and long-lasting friendships. Make no mistake, this is an erotic novel involving heavy-duty scenes of bondage-and-domination between men. However, it is so well-written, so well-plotted, and so carefully narrated, that you don't need to be aroused by it to appreciate it. As a story, a character study, and a drama, The Room is surprisingly engaging.
  
• Trapped in Chastity by a Pretty Goth on June 07, 2020
  
  Trapped in Chastity by a Pretty Goth is a short, fun, quirky bit of erotica by Giles English that incorporates his usual themes of chastity and female domination with the added bonus of a pretty goth. Giles begins teasing that gothic element from the opening lines with thunder, a clawing sensation, a shiny black mesh sheath, and a nightmare-bleak living room before Gigi even arrives at the door with her heavy make-up, piercings, black-velvet corset and block-heeled combat boots. It’s subtle, but effective, setting the reader up to expect a certain tone from the story. Giddy and inebriated, Gigi reveals she stole the keys to Michael’s chastity device from his desk. It excites her, and the idea of making his fantasy of giving up control arouses her, even if it’ll take a little blackmail to make it happen. Be careful what you wish for indeed. This is a rather short story, more about the dynamics of female domination and the psychology of a chaste submissive, but it’s still undeniably erotic. Michael finds himself completely at her mercy, forced to perform for her, to worship her, and all on a deadline . . . with every additional moment adding to his chastity. Gigi is an exquisite character and the open-ended questions at the end, inviting the reader to help guide the next chapter, make it easy to want more of her and Michael. Trapped in Chastity by a Pretty Goth is another fantastic example of an author who knows, lives, and understands the material. Worth a read.