Morsels

Sera Drake is back with a short story collection to rival their debut piece, Ancilla (synopsis and full review: [https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/ancilla-sera-drake#review]). These short stories range from a dissolving relationship stuck in their rinse-and-repeat cycle to a yarn-specific sexual escapade.

Each story is only a tiny snapshot, and left me wanting more. It's normally pretty easy for me to get bored of short stories, but I found myself eagerly throwing myself into the multiple worlds and clearly thought-out relationships Drake created. Notably, we experience a darker version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast that marks an alarming start to the collection. I wanted to immerse myself fully into Drake's retelling, but immediately found myself launched into another story.

Even when we're watching a couple fight, it's so hot. (To note:this scene is both upsetting and incredibly sensual. Drake shares that we're supposed to feel torn in this way, and I have to admit - they were successful.) Drake is a pro at playing with the reader's emotions in a way that I am slightly terrified of.

As always with Drake's work, I have to note the variety of trigger warnings throughout Morsels. While I did have to skip through one piece for a particular trigger (Ancilla readers will be familiar), I was definitely in the right place and time to enjoy this collection. Readers should be careful and review Drake's preface before diving in.

Drake's focus on neurodivergent, queer characters also needs to be noted. There aren't enough authors writing about these types of characters without making it about being neurodivergent or queer.

If you are someone who's tired of the hetero-normative blandness of Fifty Shades of Grey, give Morsels a try. And when you love it, pick up Ancilla right after. I'm glad to be watching Drake's rise in the erotica scene, and can't wait for what they've yet to write.

Morsels: Tales of Love and Passion by Sera Maddox Drake is a collection of short stories. The subtitle perfectly summarizes its subject. A Tale as Old as Time gives a sneak peek into the passionate life of Beauty and her captor, Beast. The Muse is about a painter who is consumed by her muse, quite literally. In One of The Girls, Wildfire attributes her financial success on the dance stage to her tacky little garter and soon changes her stage name to Aphrodite. Sure enough, the goddess of love comes calling. Anything For a Friend shows the deep dilemma of a person who helps their friend check out of this world through painful pleasure. In Parliament of Rooks, a melancholic nerd goes into a dream-vision state and attends a parliament of rooks where he learns the story of the passion that burns humans.

Morsels is one of the most diverse and intellectual books I’ve ever read. Each story had a different tone, setting, and experience. In addition to the general erotic theme, the stories explored different themes, including arts (painting and literature), Greek mythology, social policies, etc, some of which led me to Google and more knowledge eventually. I was very impressed with the quality and diversity of information I gained from this book, especially because I was expecting only eros (sensual love). I loved the subtle aura of this book, the way the stories built up slowly, peaked, and faded, leaving me pondering, and I liked that the characters and vocabulary were not vulgar. I loved how the stories were arranged so that each story was better than the last. I enjoyed Morsels by Sera Maddox Drake, and I recommend it.