This book is weird, wild, and very likely the most fucked up thing I've ever read. I don't know how to review it. It's about a brothel served by automatons, it's about a dominatrix who is a room and also a person, it's about a man who was trapped in such an unhealthy relationship when he was younger that it fully reshaped him. It's about becoming free, it's about what if Jack the Ripper killed men, it's about an alternate steampunk history. This book is unlike anything I've read before. It's incredibly dark, and sometimes incredibly sweet. The main romance was good. This was a wild book.

Schechter brings an animatronic house to life. This house is designed to bring the 19th century men to their knees. Only a choice few are invited in to meet with the house and become part of the dark pleasure that awaits.

William has been walled away in his uncle's house since he managed to survive the war. Rescuing him from his own depression, his cousin takes him to the House of Sable Locks and introduces him to the pleasure of bondage and submission. This is only the beginning.

Not knowing what to expect out of a house that is one of the main protagonists in an erotica novel. I was blown away the plot behind the erotica is a great twist that took this reader by surprise. If you are able to suspend your disbelief in a house involved in a sexual relationship, you will enjoy this erotic mystery.

House of Sable Locks was an interesting read. I like the defined line between what William and Madeline had vs what Samantha was doing to William. I feel like William was every female romance novel protagonist who was "ravished" by the bloodthirsty pirate before being rescued by the hero, and I love that for him.

I do think it was interesting that the queer relationship was so awful and abusive while the heterosexual relationship was angelic and beautiful. Interesting that the only time a queer relationship was happy was when a woman was also involved.

Interesting...

House of Sable Locks by Elizabeth Schecter is an erotic steampunk thriller, and I promise you’ve never read anything quite like it!

William is the main character, and he’s an English nobleman in an alternative Victorian England. After a devastating season in his life, a friend takes him to a brothel run by automatons and a Succubus. Any man desiring to explore the absolute depths of their fantasies have to first visit the Succubus. Nobody has ever come back from visiting her, except for William. He is obsessed with her, for she is truly his wildest fantasy.

At the same time, a terrifying murderer is loose in the city, and William has to stay alive and ensure his safety as he is battling to come to terms with his past and healing while all this is going on. His past and present darkness are on a collision course and there is truly just so much going on. Themes of slavery, BDSM, and erotica are present throughout this wild tale and you should check your triggers and make sure you are okay to proceed with this one!

When I saw this book, I was surprised. I distinctly remember reading the short story, Succubus, in a Steampunk collection, and I adored it. To see a full length novel, colour me intrigued. Whilst I enjoyed this book so much, it is a conundrum to me. The BDSM in this book is both deliciously deviant and BDSM lifestyle hostile. Since this is a Steampunk fantasy book, I'm going to exclude the BDSM hostile undertone in my rating. I will explain it.

First this is a delightful steampunk theme. I enjoyed all the automations in the book. Ms. Schechter does a lovely job of creating a Victoria steampunk brothel that has me panting with desire. The different floors showcase the sex positivity in opposition to the Victorian times. I loved the role playing and themes. I especially enjoyed the expansion of the Succubus. I'm impressed with how this turned out and I loved this part.

Second, the BDSM with in this with William as the submissive put me over the moon. William's kinky scenes were definitely RACK. As we learn more about his past, we learn many of his teachings became more sinister with non-con. Here's where I'm waffling. What William experienced from his first love is less BDSM and more domestic abuse. This is where the slight ill at ease feeling for me started. To be clear, being branded is a kink and one I like. How it was done to William is the point of contention for me. The story is clear this wasn't consensual. Hopefully readers understand this distinct point.

William's experiences at the House of Sable Locks are for the most part right up his alley. He tries all the different rooms in the various floors and has a blast. I'm enjoying every bit of this and thinking that this is a great kinky sex positive erotica. Then, the story showed it is more than erotica.

Third, I did not anticipate any sort of plot. I figured we were going to have overcharged sexy times. Boy was I wrong. Ms. Schechter slips in a horror/thriller plot. I am caught off guard and didn't pay attention to the warning signs until it smacks me hard in the face. In my defense, I was in a book reading binge and this was book number 7 in the the past 48 hours. I was also reading this late into the wee morning because I was so riveted. My brain probably wasn't functioning on all cylinders. Unlike the sexy sweet Steampunk Succubus that will now feature in my spank bank.

The dark plot twist threw me for a loop and this is where the BDSM hostile label comes in force. What happens here from a woman dominating a man is beyond body modification. It is more than sadistic. It is pure serial killer psycho. My issue with this is that the story crosses the genre of Steampunk erotic romance to non-con stereotype of a female dominant. There are few stories with femdom. There are even fewer stories with kink positive female dominants. If this was a non-con slavery story from beginning to end, then it wouldn't be as big of an issue for me. Still, this is a pet peeve of mine and others may not even think twice or read into it this way. Basically, a woman cannot be a good dominant. She is only in it to torture and hurt men. *eye roll* yes, yes, one can argue that there were a few good female dominants in this story - specifically Succubus. But she is a machine, is she not? *wink*

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to the next book that follows. I haven't seen when the book will be published. I hope it will be in the new year, 2024. This erotic steampunk is recommended to kinky readers who enjoy dark fantasy and horror.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had everything that I was looking for in this type of book. The characters felt like they were suppose to and it had a great concept overall. Elizabeth Schechter has a great writing style and I enjoyed the characters in this world.

In many ways this is a hard book to review. Is it a mystery? There are some elements of that, is it a thriller, even more evidence of that. Then there's the erotic side of it, which is both sexy and disturbing in equal measure. I'm not really sure to be honest. But, I do know that I enjoyed the book.
William and his past is fascinating. The world he now finds himself in is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. The only part of this book that I didn't really fully connect with is that some of the characters are just evil for the sake of it. There's no nuance or other levels to them, they are instead simply evil and sadistic for the sake of it.
This is a gripping read and with it's glimpses into William's early life in India I just couldn't put it down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

William, a wealthy man drowning in his despair with the loss of his family and his homes in India and France seeks the thrill of the House of Sable Locks. House of Sable Locks, an alluring mansion that caters to the fantasies of London's wealthy elite run by automatons and the Succubus. Men who wish to indulge in their desires must visit the Succubus, and none have returned from her embrace, until William. His fascination with her and the satisfaction of his deepest desires raise questions about the true nature of the Succubus. All the while, a series of murders plagues the city, with the killer remaining at large. William must navigate fulfilling his desires, confronting his past traumas, and ensuring his safety.

“The House of Sable Locks” by Elizabeth Schechter is an amazing book. It was way spicier than I thought it would be 5 chili peppers spicy. I loved loved loved the trauma aspect of William but still not being able to fight his urge to be dominated. The book is packed with BDSM, steampunk vibes, and Jack the Ripper-esque atmosphere. I ordered a physical copy immediately after finishing my digital copy. 5 out of 5 stars, I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did.