CARNAL MACHINES: STEAMPUNK EROTICA
TERESA NOELLE ROBERTS, JANINE ASHBLESS, RENEE MICHAELS, POE VON PAGE, KANNAN FENG, JAY LAWRENCE, DELILAH DEVLIN, LISABET SARAI, KATHLEEN BRADEAN, ELIAS ST. JAMES, ESSEMOH TEEPEE, D.L. KING, TRACEY SHELLITO, ELIZABETH SCHECHTER
ISBN#: 9781573446549/9781573446754
2011
Cleis Press, Inc.
www.cleispress.com
Paperback/E book
$14.95/8.99
244 pages
Erotica/Steampunk
Rating: 3 cups

Human Powered

Professor Claire Fitzsimmons has developed a generator that she believes will create energy based on the unmarried, or those who are not happily married. Harnessing that energy she feels will help people in the long run. There is a kink or two that needs to be worked out, so she turns to her deceased husband’s friend, Doctor Benedict Lowell, for help.

This story is wonderfully written and certainly brings the senses to life.

The Servant Question

Mr. Tulliver is an inventor. Mr. Tulliver has taken his ingenuity and created automatons who will work as servants for the wealthy. Mrs. Petherton purchases The Tireless Housemaid model for her household. She has to call Mr. Tulliver to her home to tweak the automaton she calls Eliza. The tweaks are a bit unusual until Mr. Tulliver sees firsthand exactly what type of “housework” Eliza is needed for.

I could only imagine Mr. Tulliver’s face when he came face-to-face with Eliza and Mrs. Petherton. Definitely a story to bring a smile to your face.

Sleight of Hand

Cassie is a thief who uses science to dispose of the Fitzgibbon unpickable locks. Marcus Fitzgibbons is the creator of the triple slip lock and Cassie’s former lover. Caught in the act of stealing, Cassie is placed in a very difficult position and is caught up in the pleasure Marcus brings her.

Be sure to catch your breath when you have the chance. This book is sure to steal it away with its highly erotic images.

Mutiny on the Danika Blue

Ailhbe is the cartographer on the Danika Blue. As a woman aboard a ship, the crew believes she brings bad luck. Enough so that mutiny is a possibility. Lucky for Ailhbe, Captain Jael is willing to protect her at all costs. His reasons are purely selfish, but at least he realizes who the true captain is.

This is another story to tickle your senses. With the dominant/submissive thread, these characters leap to life in the reader’s mind.

Deviant Devices

Victoria De Clemens is one of Commander Whitcomb’s “women”. After working in a brothel by the river, Victoria sees the luxury of being a kept woman. Instead of meeting the commander, Victoria finds herself in the hands of Mercer, the secretary. Mercer shows Victoria a whole new world of pleasure with devices one could only imagine.

The things that spring from the minds of writers and inventors astonish me. This was one of those stories that I needed a bottle of ice water to finish.

The Perfect Girl

Crepe de Chine is a prostitute for Mrs. James. Mr. Friday Night and his companion, Victoria, have purchased Crepe for the evening. Things may not seem right with Victoria, but Crepe is not complaining with the things Mr. Friday Night is commanding Victoria to do to her. Crepe de Chine is unable to hold her tongue when she discovers Mr. Friday Night’s secret.

I loved the My Fair Lady twist to this story. It is sexy in its own right, but when you add that twist, a bit of humor is involved as well.

Dr. Mullaley’s Cure

Dr. Mullaley deals in the delicate nature of lady’s maladies. Nurse Percy is new to the doctor’s staff and she sees things that she does not understand. When Dr. Mullaley suggests Nurse Percy help with the development of some new techniques, the nurse is anxious to help.

I will admit that I laughed out loud while reading this story. Who knew an amazing orgasm could cure so much?

Her Own Devices

Lin Xiao Chung is off to negotiate for her pimp, Fang Wu. Master Wu wants the sexual machines Chris Burton has created, and he is willing to give Lin to Chris as compensation. Chris is not sure that is a worthwhile option until Lin displays her talents.

A bit of a surprising turn of events that I was not expecting and all of the images this author created fell into place.

Lair of the Red Countess

Archibald Fraser hears about a new club called the Spiritualist Society. Upon further inspection of the club, Archie finds himself deep inside a world where his darkest desires can be made real. The countess and her special devices has Archie begging for more.

I really enjoyed the power the countess held. She knew what Archie wanted without him uttering a word.

Infernal Machine

Elijah has this special chair, but he cannot figure out how to make it work. His partner, Sasha, is called away to join his father for dinner, leaving Elijah to work on the mysterious chair alone. What Elijah never imagined is the chair holds secrets that can only be uncovered when one sits in the chair. Held captive by the chair and all it secrets, Sasha returns home to find his lover in a very big predicament.

Sexy and sensual with more than a hint of bondage, I fell in love with Sasha and Elijah from page one.

Dr. Watson Makes a House Call

Dr. Watson has been called to consult at the home of Countess Warwick. Well-known for his treatment of hysterical women, Dr. Watson’s course of action has him in demand. The late Annabella left him with a special device called “Vibrador”, which helps cure women of their ailments.

Another twist on classic characters, the reader gets to see Dr. Watson in a whole new light.

The Treatment

Li Mei is a scientist. Her affinity for machines that deal in matters of a sexual nature is known in circles of men who like things a bit rougher.

An incredible story, the reader finds themselves in a whole new realm as they read on.

Lucifer Einstein and the Curious Case of the Carnal Contraption

Lucifer is an inventor who enjoys a good mystery. Sexual devices are turning up in the bedrooms of women around the city, and Lucifer is called in to see who is leaving these devices behind.

Anyone who can name a female character Lucifer gets a gold star in my book. Of course the fact that my imagination was peaked throughout the entire story helps as well.

I have always known that the Victorian Age was the height of sexual awareness, but the contraptions that sprang from the minds of that ages’ inventors certainly had not came into play. This book and the authors involved certainly had my imagination working overtime as I transitioned from one story to the next. While a few of the ideas–steam-powered devices especially–left me with a sense of “there is no way”, I loved the ingenious writing behind each story. If you have never read steampunk before, this is an incredible example of the genre.

Kimberly
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More