Rachel Kramer Bussel - editor of books like Please, Sir and the upcoming, Best Sex Writing 2012 - returns with a collection of dark delights for those of us who take a walk on the wild side and those who want to venture there. Best Bondage Erotica 2012 is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive, but for those who want to add a little more spice into their lives. The stories presented here are easily adapted to real life scenarios, so don't just think of it as a collection of well written erotica by some of the best writers of the genre; instead, think of it as an instruction manual - Intro to Bondage.

In Teresa Noelle Roberts's "Suffer for Me," we learn that bondage isn't just rope and leather. That our restraints can be mental as well as physical. We also learn that being climatically controlled can cause the same yearning arousal that handcuffs and servitude bring. And best of all, it also teaches us to remember that tingling sensation of concentrated lust time and again.

In "Melting Ice," Shoshanna Evers informs us that a bondage fantasy doesn't have to have two people. A pair of handcuffs and an ice cube is all Amanda Scott needs to get rocks off.

Kay Jaybee pushes us further from just experimenting with the kinkier side of sex in "The Cupboard Under the Stairs," when a dominate invites someone else into their sex chamber.

And Elizabeth Silver brings in the gothier side of BDSM in "Laced," as a bartender sees a friend in a light he's never seen him before.

Each story is carefully crafted to yank on our lusts (no pun intended - or perhaps it is) and I can imagine Bussel having a hard time to select which to use. Collected here, however, are the best bondage erotica that the year has to offer. I'm on the edge to see what's in store for next year. ( )

This is a wonderful diverse collection of tales with something to offer just about everyone, although it will probably be of more interest to readers who are either new to the scene, or only casual participants. Those who are already heavily invested in bondage and submission as a lifestyle may find this a little light, but it's still a great read.

The collection starts off, rather appropriately, with Melting Ice - a tale of experimental self-bondage involving one woman, a pair of handcuffs, and a key trapped in an ice cube. From there, it progresses through intimate scenes involving pairs of lovers, more intense scenes involving multiple submissives (and switches), and some outright exhibitionist displays.

There's a lot of focus on the anticipation, on the sensuality of being restrained, as opposed to the more punished aspects of being bound. More often than not, it takes several pages before a cuff, collar, or rope even makes an appearance, but the 'threat' looms large, drawing the reader into the story. Most of the stories revolve around existing relationships, so there's an element of safety involved, although there is still very much a power exchange to be respected.

Female domination seems to be a predominant theme here, which is probably the reason why my spouse and I had so much fun with the stories. There are plenty of tales where the men are in control, however, and even some where who's in control isn't readily apparent . . . and where that control shifts rather abruptly. What's more, the focus of these stories is rather refreshingly on the bondage and the exchange of power, with sex secondary in most cases, and almost an afterthought in others.

Well worth a read . . . and even better if you have the opportunity to share it. ( )