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apostrophen's review
5.0
Edit: Flash Sale, August 24th, 2019 at the Bold Strokes Books web-store.
"Inescapable" by Jeff Mann
Okay, you may be tired of me saying this, but here it comes again: no one out there does better at blending lyrical prose and viscerally charged erotica than Jeff Mann. Period. You can try to argue with me if you want, but first go read Fog and Purgatory and then you can come back and apologize for doubting me.
"Inescapable" is the lead story in Tricks of the Trade (edited by Jerry L. Wheeler) and shows once again how Jerry L. Wheeler can come up with what might seem like odd niches for erotica (Restaurants and Food, Circuses, Trains, and now Stage Magicians) and then find incredible pieces to fill those books. For fans of Jeff Mann, I think you'll have the same smile of delight I had when you realize that the fellow in his story - who enjoys knotting, roping, and cuffing up his buddies - has potentially met a different sort of match when he finds himself enjoying the company of a stage magician who has a knack for the art of escape. Brilliant and fresh idea, wonderful execution, and a story that stayed with me long after I was done.
"And Now, For My Next Trick," by Lewis DeSimone
This is a great tale and a perfect example of what I mean when I said the stories really move through a wide range of tone in their execution. What starts as the tale of a cynical man who has mastered the art of making things disappear moves through the sweaty enjoyment promised so heartily by the cover of Tricks of the Trade, and then into a territory I didn't see coming.
When you have spent your life making things - and others - vanish, what's in store for you when they come back?
Very moody, very shivery, and very well done.
"In Through the Out Door," by Rob Rosen
One of the amazing things I truly admire in other writers (I cannot include myself of possessing this quality) is the ability to pack a punch with brevity. I remember one year in New Orleans talking to a poet and a novelist, and the three of us amused at the word limits and sizes of the finished products each other worked with - and realizing that we all thought what each other did was nigh upon impossible. But even within the narrower field of short story, there are people who can do so much with a few pages.
"In Through the Out Door" is one such tale - it's a quick piece, but fully formed. Given the collection, it's also fully - forgive me - endowed with a satisfying finish. When a stage magician's wagon rolls into town, the break in the everyday is a welcome one. But the real magic happens back-stage, with the handsome volunteer plucked from the gathering crowd.
"The Mesmerist's Assistant," by Jay Neal
Speaking of altered states, the next tale in Tricks of the Trade deals with the altered state of mesmerism, or at least a young man who is willing to pretend to be in that state in order to con a room of men. His partner "mesmerises" him, and the two put on an act that is - to say the least - indecent, but definitely profitable.
Until they're caught.
Starting with the young assistant explaining what it was the con-man mesmerist had him do to the police, "The Mesmerist's Assistant" unfolds a story of a carefully crafted con game. It's a historical, and has a lovely tone in language and setting that seeps through every step of the tale. More, Jay Neal's story had a twist I didn't see coming at all, and it left me letting out a great big "ha!" at the end. Definitely a favourite of the collection.
"Sons of Orion," by Xavier Axelson
"Sons of Orion" is the next story up in Tricks of the Trade, and has that sense of history to it. That's not to say it's a historical story in the usual sense. Here the sense of ancient that pervades the tale is one born of magic, of the Djin, and of a choice and a loss that are carried by a man for so long they might drive him to a dark end. A modern day man of illusion has a real magical past at his beck and call, and the temptation to seek out something he long ago lost is overwhelming. But is it worth risking everything for a chance at something you once had?
What Axelson does in such a short space builds such a rich world. Nothing is explained, exactly, but a solid sense of structure exists, and I have to admit that upon the ending of the tale, I still wanted to know more about this world Axelson had crafted for the tale. As world-building goes, it had the weight of history to it - and in a short piece, that's a lot to accomplish.
"Let's Just Kiss and Say Good-Bye," by Todd Gregory
In Tricks of the Trade, the Todd Gregory story deals very much with letting go, but with a magical - and decidedly sexy - twist on the tale. At first, when the bright-eyed young man walks up to the narrator in the bar and offers the most original pick-up line he's ever heard, it's a kind of pleasant surprise. But life has taught him to be cautious, and perhaps a bit less likely to believe in the good happenstances and clear motives.
And definitely going home with a much younger man - like his ex has done, only permanently - isn't the kind of life he's looking for.
Except the line isn't a line, and that means there's some serious mojo ahead for the evening. In the manner of all Todd Gregory stories that magic is sweaty and sexy and fun, and I loved the last few lines of this tale, which left me in such a positive place.
"Manly Magic," by Dale Chase
Combining the usual Dale Chase flair for westerns with a Dodge City magic act, "Manly Magic" had a poignancy to it that was quite charming. Following a young man who hasn't experienced a great deal and who definitely broadens his horizons at the hands (and tongue, and other parts) of a stage magician, there's a sense of "growing up" to this story that comes with a healthy dose of having one's more naive illusions shattered. Still, the conclusion gave me enough of a serving of hope that I ended with a smile.
I should mention I'm currently also reading Dale's wonderful e-book collection of western erotica, Crack Shot, and loving it. I don't think I've ever read this many westerns before in my life, but they're just damned appealing in Chase's hand.
"The Assistant," by Mel Bossa
Trying to survive on the street is a little like that. Keegan is doing that - and failing - at the start of Bossa's tale, found in Tricks of the Trade (which, by the by, links there right now for 99 cents through kobo). Sick and realizing that the group he's with isn't likely to care if he gets better, Keegan takes a shot at choosing his own direction with a street artist with quick hands - and a quicker mind.
But is a short at a future just another illusion spun by the fingers of a stranger?
I loved the tone of this tale - the desperation that Keegan is fighting to stay one step ahead rings so damn true, and his desire to make it, and make it on his own terms, is solid. The temptation of this stranger... how could anyone resist that kind of magic?
"Old-Fashioned Expectations," by Joseph Baneth Allen
This story, from Tricks of the Trade tells the story of a journalist hired to debunk a stage magician's illusion. That things don't quite go as planned is likely not a surprise, but there's a lovely sub-plot about a wedding band that made me smile throughout the telling of the tale.
When you're aiming to break an illusion, what place could their be for more magic in a life? Is it worth risking everything to believe - even a little? You're probably aware of how I feel about that, but hey - sometimes the big reveal isn't the point, it's the enjoyment of the whole performance.
"Magic Takes a Holiday," by Ralph Seligman
The next story in Tricks of the Trade is Ralph Seligman's "Magic Takes a Holiday." I loved the idea behind this story. A magician (an illusionist, specifically) is a master of control. Every moment, every move, every misdirection, is all done purposefully. Control is everything.
So giving up that control is a dangerous - and incredibly enticing - risk.
As the story unfolds, we watch this man willingly submit to another, and the freedom that can come with letting go of the rigid control that his life requires. It's sexy. It's a bit edgy, and it's well done from start to finish. Take a seat, and enjoy the big reveal.
"Magic Lantern," by William Holden
Speaking of magic and terror, the next story up in Tricks of the Trade is William Holden's darkly erotic tale of a London man, his employer, and a magically inspired crusade against the evils of sodomy.
It's a period piece, like many of Holden's stories, and the time and place of the tale act like another lens on the story - one that shows us at least one man who issues with his own desires taking on a man who would "save" others through fear and trickery.
As always, Holden manages to put a darker edge on the erotic story and yet leaves the reader as titilated as they are disturbed.
"The Magician's Assistant," by Logan Zachary
This is the final story in Tricks of the Trade, which I somehow missed but today after work I was looking through my collections of various anthologies that I'd tucked aside for these entries and then noticed this was there. It was unintentional to miss a tale, I promise.
Here we have a young man who is trying out to be the assistant of a stage magician. The magic between the two is obvious from the moment they're on stage together - as is the chemistry. What follows is a fun romp where illusion and magic - and something a bit more powerful than either man is prepared for - kicks into high gear and casts a spell of its own. As in all the tales from Tricks of the Trade, this one is definitely sweaty and sexy, and there's some danger tossed in, too.
"Inescapable" by Jeff Mann
Okay, you may be tired of me saying this, but here it comes again: no one out there does better at blending lyrical prose and viscerally charged erotica than Jeff Mann. Period. You can try to argue with me if you want, but first go read Fog and Purgatory and then you can come back and apologize for doubting me.
"Inescapable" is the lead story in Tricks of the Trade (edited by Jerry L. Wheeler) and shows once again how Jerry L. Wheeler can come up with what might seem like odd niches for erotica (Restaurants and Food, Circuses, Trains, and now Stage Magicians) and then find incredible pieces to fill those books. For fans of Jeff Mann, I think you'll have the same smile of delight I had when you realize that the fellow in his story - who enjoys knotting, roping, and cuffing up his buddies - has potentially met a different sort of match when he finds himself enjoying the company of a stage magician who has a knack for the art of escape. Brilliant and fresh idea, wonderful execution, and a story that stayed with me long after I was done.
"And Now, For My Next Trick," by Lewis DeSimone
This is a great tale and a perfect example of what I mean when I said the stories really move through a wide range of tone in their execution. What starts as the tale of a cynical man who has mastered the art of making things disappear moves through the sweaty enjoyment promised so heartily by the cover of Tricks of the Trade, and then into a territory I didn't see coming.
When you have spent your life making things - and others - vanish, what's in store for you when they come back?
Very moody, very shivery, and very well done.
"In Through the Out Door," by Rob Rosen
One of the amazing things I truly admire in other writers (I cannot include myself of possessing this quality) is the ability to pack a punch with brevity. I remember one year in New Orleans talking to a poet and a novelist, and the three of us amused at the word limits and sizes of the finished products each other worked with - and realizing that we all thought what each other did was nigh upon impossible. But even within the narrower field of short story, there are people who can do so much with a few pages.
"In Through the Out Door" is one such tale - it's a quick piece, but fully formed. Given the collection, it's also fully - forgive me - endowed with a satisfying finish. When a stage magician's wagon rolls into town, the break in the everyday is a welcome one. But the real magic happens back-stage, with the handsome volunteer plucked from the gathering crowd.
"The Mesmerist's Assistant," by Jay Neal
Speaking of altered states, the next tale in Tricks of the Trade deals with the altered state of mesmerism, or at least a young man who is willing to pretend to be in that state in order to con a room of men. His partner "mesmerises" him, and the two put on an act that is - to say the least - indecent, but definitely profitable.
Until they're caught.
Starting with the young assistant explaining what it was the con-man mesmerist had him do to the police, "The Mesmerist's Assistant" unfolds a story of a carefully crafted con game. It's a historical, and has a lovely tone in language and setting that seeps through every step of the tale. More, Jay Neal's story had a twist I didn't see coming at all, and it left me letting out a great big "ha!" at the end. Definitely a favourite of the collection.
"Sons of Orion," by Xavier Axelson
"Sons of Orion" is the next story up in Tricks of the Trade, and has that sense of history to it. That's not to say it's a historical story in the usual sense. Here the sense of ancient that pervades the tale is one born of magic, of the Djin, and of a choice and a loss that are carried by a man for so long they might drive him to a dark end. A modern day man of illusion has a real magical past at his beck and call, and the temptation to seek out something he long ago lost is overwhelming. But is it worth risking everything for a chance at something you once had?
What Axelson does in such a short space builds such a rich world. Nothing is explained, exactly, but a solid sense of structure exists, and I have to admit that upon the ending of the tale, I still wanted to know more about this world Axelson had crafted for the tale. As world-building goes, it had the weight of history to it - and in a short piece, that's a lot to accomplish.
"Let's Just Kiss and Say Good-Bye," by Todd Gregory
In Tricks of the Trade, the Todd Gregory story deals very much with letting go, but with a magical - and decidedly sexy - twist on the tale. At first, when the bright-eyed young man walks up to the narrator in the bar and offers the most original pick-up line he's ever heard, it's a kind of pleasant surprise. But life has taught him to be cautious, and perhaps a bit less likely to believe in the good happenstances and clear motives.
And definitely going home with a much younger man - like his ex has done, only permanently - isn't the kind of life he's looking for.
Except the line isn't a line, and that means there's some serious mojo ahead for the evening. In the manner of all Todd Gregory stories that magic is sweaty and sexy and fun, and I loved the last few lines of this tale, which left me in such a positive place.
"Manly Magic," by Dale Chase
Combining the usual Dale Chase flair for westerns with a Dodge City magic act, "Manly Magic" had a poignancy to it that was quite charming. Following a young man who hasn't experienced a great deal and who definitely broadens his horizons at the hands (and tongue, and other parts) of a stage magician, there's a sense of "growing up" to this story that comes with a healthy dose of having one's more naive illusions shattered. Still, the conclusion gave me enough of a serving of hope that I ended with a smile.
I should mention I'm currently also reading Dale's wonderful e-book collection of western erotica, Crack Shot, and loving it. I don't think I've ever read this many westerns before in my life, but they're just damned appealing in Chase's hand.
"The Assistant," by Mel Bossa
Trying to survive on the street is a little like that. Keegan is doing that - and failing - at the start of Bossa's tale, found in Tricks of the Trade (which, by the by, links there right now for 99 cents through kobo). Sick and realizing that the group he's with isn't likely to care if he gets better, Keegan takes a shot at choosing his own direction with a street artist with quick hands - and a quicker mind.
But is a short at a future just another illusion spun by the fingers of a stranger?
I loved the tone of this tale - the desperation that Keegan is fighting to stay one step ahead rings so damn true, and his desire to make it, and make it on his own terms, is solid. The temptation of this stranger... how could anyone resist that kind of magic?
"Old-Fashioned Expectations," by Joseph Baneth Allen
This story, from Tricks of the Trade tells the story of a journalist hired to debunk a stage magician's illusion. That things don't quite go as planned is likely not a surprise, but there's a lovely sub-plot about a wedding band that made me smile throughout the telling of the tale.
When you're aiming to break an illusion, what place could their be for more magic in a life? Is it worth risking everything to believe - even a little? You're probably aware of how I feel about that, but hey - sometimes the big reveal isn't the point, it's the enjoyment of the whole performance.
"Magic Takes a Holiday," by Ralph Seligman
The next story in Tricks of the Trade is Ralph Seligman's "Magic Takes a Holiday." I loved the idea behind this story. A magician (an illusionist, specifically) is a master of control. Every moment, every move, every misdirection, is all done purposefully. Control is everything.
So giving up that control is a dangerous - and incredibly enticing - risk.
As the story unfolds, we watch this man willingly submit to another, and the freedom that can come with letting go of the rigid control that his life requires. It's sexy. It's a bit edgy, and it's well done from start to finish. Take a seat, and enjoy the big reveal.
"Magic Lantern," by William Holden
Speaking of magic and terror, the next story up in Tricks of the Trade is William Holden's darkly erotic tale of a London man, his employer, and a magically inspired crusade against the evils of sodomy.
It's a period piece, like many of Holden's stories, and the time and place of the tale act like another lens on the story - one that shows us at least one man who issues with his own desires taking on a man who would "save" others through fear and trickery.
As always, Holden manages to put a darker edge on the erotic story and yet leaves the reader as titilated as they are disturbed.
"The Magician's Assistant," by Logan Zachary
This is the final story in Tricks of the Trade, which I somehow missed but today after work I was looking through my collections of various anthologies that I'd tucked aside for these entries and then noticed this was there. It was unintentional to miss a tale, I promise.
Here we have a young man who is trying out to be the assistant of a stage magician. The magic between the two is obvious from the moment they're on stage together - as is the chemistry. What follows is a fun romp where illusion and magic - and something a bit more powerful than either man is prepared for - kicks into high gear and casts a spell of its own. As in all the tales from Tricks of the Trade, this one is definitely sweaty and sexy, and there's some danger tossed in, too.
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