The Copper Horse: Fear
by K.A. Merikan
Gay Dark Romance BDSM, published 2018 Independent Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-98526-073-3, 336 pages
London 1907, twenty years into the zombie plague: Reuben is a baker living in the slums of London, sharing a room with his father and an extended family of cockroaches. Poor, uneducated, and repressing all his sexual desires, he leads a life of misery, only sometimes sprinkled with gin and a rough tumble in a filthy back alley. But when he is abducted into Bylondon to be the slave of a wealthy crime family member named Erik Dal, his values are put to the test. His new master is obsessed with all things equestrian, and Reuben soon learns that if he obeys and performs well as Erik’s horse, he might just get everything he yearns for: pampering, foods he never even dreamed of, and shameless sex with a demonically handsome young man in leather riding boots.
As Copper, Erik’s treasured dun stallion, Reuben must submit to his new master’s obscene fancy of possessing another man completely. That is, if he yearns for treats and not the lick of a riding crop. Fake tails, harnesses, and a new haircut to his ginger mane help Reuben transform into Copper, but the fear of losing his dignity in the eyes of society might just prove to be a bigger restraint than any bit, bridle, or handcuffs. All that for the small price of his freedom. Though at times, Reuben feels it’s his soul that Erik is after instead.
“Fear” is an extraordinary book, both in terms of the plot setting and the story itself. The relationship between Erik and Reuben is described very erotically. Erik is a wealthy, influential man who is very active in organized crime. Reuben was literally kidnapped from the gutter and no one misses him. A perfect constellation for this novel. Erik is on the one hand very caring and full of compassion for Reuben, on the other hand he is dominant and sadistic. He does not allow any contradiction or defense. Reuben takes a long time to settle in his new role, often defends himself and calls his master a “sick bastard” or a pervert. Reuben’s development makes this book worth reading. “It hurt badly, and by the time the punishment came to an end, Reuben fehlt that he’d given it his all and that maybe fighting back wasn’t the best of ideas. The only problem was he didn’t want to look eager to obey orders. This struggle was already too confusing. Reuben leaned against the wall with closed eyes, still moaning very quietly from time to time. Erik let out a loud, tired sigh. ‘Will you be good now, Copper? Or shall I continue?'”
My conclusion: This book is different from other BDSM novels. Not only because the plot is written as a fantasy (zombies are up to mischief in the city), but also because of the characters. On the one hand the horse lover and Master Erik, on the other hand the inexperienced Reuben, who has neither any BDSM experience nor shows interest in it. The story, written in a pleasant and easy-to-read language, stimulates the reader’s imagination. Much seems very bizarre, whereby the possible reality of the practices and ideas described lies solely at the discretion of the reader. With this first part of the series “The Copper Horse”, the author duo Kat and Agnes have presented an exciting story that continues with “Pride” and “Love”.