Daughters Of Darkness - erotic book by Cleis Press Inc. - review by WildeKnight

Pam Keesey is the author of "Vamps: An Illustrated History of the Femme Fatale" and editor of "Dark Angels: Lesbian Vampire Stories", "Women Who Run with Werewolves: Tales of Blood, Lust and Metamorphosis" and of course, "Daughters of Darkness" She has a M.A. in Women's studies from the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire, and currently resides in Minneapolis.

Authors included in the Anthology are:
Zana "Dracula Retold" (Proper names are capitalized goddamnit)
Jody Scott "I, Vampire"
J. Sheridan LeFanu "Carmilla"
Elaine Bergstrom "Daughter of the Night"
Jewelle Gomez "Louisiana: 1850"
Robbi Sommers "Lilith"
Karen Marie Christa Minns "Virago"
Pat Califia "The Vampire"
Katherine V. Forrest "O Captain, My Captain"
Anna Livia "Minimax"

If you like lots of stories with lots of sex... You're looking at the wrong book. The first story in the book, “Dracula Retold” not only had no sex, but also refused to use any sort of capitalization, as well as using the feminist spellings of “womon” and “wimmin”, which are just plain annoying. Not only was I not turned on, I spent the rest of the night cradling my copy of the Strunk & White Style manual, and cried myself to sleep lamenting the rise of revisionist grammar. The next story, “I, Vampire” reads as more of a coming out story, rather than erotica. Carmilla, the third story, would be a good story if it were in a book of vampire fiction.

But, this is supposed to be an erotica anthology and in my opinion, a 62 page story with no sex, is not a wise use of space. The book continues on very much in the same vein until you get to "Daughter of the Night", where a vampire *FORCES* an of-age farm boy TO HAVE SEX WITH A THIRTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL. THAT IS NOT EROTICA, THAT IS PEDERASTY. I had half a mind to chuck the book into the fireplace and use it as kindling.

The first true instance of Lesbian sex doesn't occur until you get to "The Vampire", page 167. And honestly? It wasn't worth the wait. I really can't in good conscience call this book a book of erotica. Marketing it as a collection of vampire stores that just so happen to have lesbians in them would be more accurate.

Daughters of Darkness is a 248 page trade paperback that measures 5.75" x 8.5" x .62". The cover graphic isn't terribly discreet, but it's not particularly risque either. The cover depicts two fanged and lipsticked women facing each other that look like they're preparing to either kiss or bite.

I'm not sure I can overstate how disappointed I was in this book. I love vampires, and I love erotica, so when I ordered this, my attitude was, “How can they possibly screw this one up?!”

Apparently by forcing the reader to slog through 167 pages of a 235 page book before there's any Lesbian sex to speak of, And by including a story where a man is forced to have sex with a 13 year old against his will. I could have forgiven the 167 page wait for Lesbian sex if it was worth the wait (it wasn't.). But the FORCED underage sex in "Daughter of the Night" is completely unacceptable. I picked up this book hoping to be turned on, not disgusted.