Title: Safeword: Quinacridone
Author: Candace Blevins
Publisher: Excessica (28 December 2012)
ISBN: 781609827007
Reviewer: Jane
I’m such a geek. First thing I did upon hearing about this book? Googled quinacridone. (It’s a red pigment that’s often used in paints, in case you’re wondering.)
Taking it at face value, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the title, Safeword: Quinacridone seems kind of random – light-hearted and playful in its obscurity, even – and that you’re in for the standard BDSM erotica romp.
Boy would you be wrong.
This is a tale of two people, Cara and Travis, bringing together their respective kinks – objectification and sadism – and, at the same time, creating a functional, romantic relationship.
When we first meet her, Cara, a budding artist, is still very much coming to terms with her wants and desires. Her sexual trajectory has been troubled and she is decidedly unsettled by her initial encounters with the reclusive and contradictory Travis, whom she is inexplicably drawn to. He, on the other hand, is very much in tune with himself – and his need to hurt – but wary of unleashing the monster within on Cara and crossing the line. The couple’s steps first steps towards one another are tentative and awkward (although they’re both full-grown adults, at times I felt like I was watching two teenagers muddle through the beginnings of a sexual awakening) but, gradually, their rapport blossoms into something very intuitive and unique.
I knew going in that Safeword: Quinacridone was going to be intense, having previously read another of Candace Blevins’s Safeword books (Safeword: Rainbow), but this latest entry to the series stepped things up to a whole new level. Really, the only word that I can think of to describe some of the content in this novel is ‘extreme’. Cara’s objectification fantasies, in particular, sometimes push the edges of the envelope.
Interestingly, and despite the very intense level of play between Cara and Travis, Safeword: Quinacridone isn’t a story about total power exchange. I haven’t come across very many books lately that show characters in compartmentalised BDSM relationships, or encountered bottoms who aren’t actually subs. (Even though Cara gets off on being objectified and has some submissive tendencies, she can’t really be described as the latter.) She and Travis are able to switch backwards and forwards between ‘vanilla’ and ‘non-vanilla’ with one another and enjoy the ‘best of both worlds’ – something I found to be incredibly refreshing and enjoyable.
Full disclosure, Safeword: Quinacridone did push my comfort levels. Certain scenes and sections? Very, very, hot (I particularly enjoyed the human table scenario and a number of the impact sequences). But the lean towards the edgier end of things brought me up short at times – to the point that if I had been Cara, I would have painted the entire street in red pigment and had a flashing neon sign with the word ‘quinacridone’ installed over my front door. There were also a number of occasions where I found myself repeating the following line from a conversation between Travis and his friend Paul:
“I mean, I know we’re supposed to be okay with other people’s kinks, but…shit.”
Ironically, the discussions that the characters had about stuff that they wouldn’t do or considered ‘too extreme’ for real life, generally disturbed me more than the things that they actually did end up engaging in. The romantic relationship that develops between the protagonists, however, did tend to balance out the heavier stuff. Candace’s writing style is very natural and readable, too (although the ex-editor in me really wants to tell the publisher that they should have done another copyediting pass on the text as I noticed a small handful of errors in the final manuscript.)
If objectification – and I mean objectification with a capital ‘O’ – floats your boat, you won’t want to miss this one. Casual BDSM erotica readers? Just be aware that you’re about to jump into the deep end of the pool. Without floaties.
Reader advisory (taken from directly from Safeword: Quinacridone): This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, extreme objectification, bondage, watersports (one scene), chemical play, fisting, temporary body modification with saline injections (one scene), and the use of toys including clamps, canes, plugs, paddles, whips, floggers, and zip-ties.
*Please note that a free copy of Safeword: Quinacridone was supplied by the author in exchange for a fair review.
Tickle your fancy? Click on the following links to buy a copy:
Amazon.co.uk
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