Morton, Maggie. Out of This World. Bold Strokes Press, 2014. 212 pages. ISBN: 978-1626390836. $16.95.

Maggie Morton’s Out of This World tells the story of Iris, lost and forlorn after her first relationship ends. She decides to get away in order to forget about her lover, but a series of events leads her to another world where she meets Anandra, who is interested in BDSM bedroom antics. Making a journey to deliver a message to the evil queen, Anandra decides to take Iris as her lover. On the journey, the two learn not just about Iris’ own royal genealogy and past but also about their feelings for each other.

While Out of This World is set up to be a great story, it sadly falls short. Iris’ motivations are clear within the story and the reader can often sympathize, but sometimes her character’s judgment and intelligence is completely lacking. Also, the description on the back of the book suggest that the ancient building “beckon[s]” to her, but within the narrative it does not mention anything of the sort. Further, the transitions between major events are rushed, and Morton could have done a better job fleshing out Anandra’s character and offering the reader her backstory. For example, the author has a great opportunity to explain the history of Anandra’s people, but the origins are described simply with an anecdote. Some of the fantasy elements within the book are great, but, again, I wish that the author explained more of the context of the world. I think for any novel with fantasy elements, a reader expects a backstory. It doesn’t have to be epic, but the genre demands a strong set-up.

Out of This World is mediocre at best. If you enjoy BDSM bedroom scenes, you’ll like the scenes here. Otherwise, I would skip this book.

Judi Tichacek
Public Services Librarian