Castle of Flesh by Aiden E Messer

Today I learned what “depraved” means. Apparently, I didn’t know what it meant before I read this book.

There are human beings used as furniture. Hanging from the walls, sat on, and made to do grotesque things. Doug is trapped in the castle where this torture takes place, as the tyrant’s daughter’s pet. The princess publicly defiles him, then takes him to her room where she carefully dresses his wounds and tells him what he wants to hear. I think my bones could feel his trust issues.

Doug and the Princess are transgender. The entire subject of trans existence is masterfully crafted in this extreme story of torture and moral degradation. Messer Juxtaposed the primal, base evil of the storyline with an elevated, complex understanding of gender identity. After many years of reading about queer otherness in fiction, this was incredibly refreshing.

The setting is post-apocalyptic. The story begins with Doug, the leader of the rebellion, taken captive after being betrayed by a lover. So, what happened during the apocalypse to set the stage for this macabre ruler? I’m going to need a prequel and a sequel right now. Highly recommend.