Genres: Rope Bondage, Instructional, Self-Help, Non-Fiction

ISBN: 978-1-937866-37-2
Author: Morpheous

Photographer: Holly Randall
Riggers: At least 5 Riggers, plus Morpheous, were involved in the ties you see in the book.

Models: There are at least 33 models credited. It's a cornucopia of well-known porn performers, male and female.

Format: Softcover
Pages: 231+

Date of Release: March 21, 2017

Page/Binding Quality: Perfect Binding (Doesn't lay flat). Fairly thick, glossy pages. Superb quality, color photographs throughout.

cyber5's preface: I contacted the author, Morpheous, through his PR team (Brian Scott Gross) because this book looked ripe for an XCritic review. When it finally arrived on my doorstep, it was much heavier than I was expecting. I've got a few bondage books on the shelves - a couple devoted to Shibari and one that is in Japanese devoted to Hojojutsu. The Japanese one, I can't vouch for...it's in Japanese, but it's well illustrated in black and white. The others are books that Morpheous references at the end of this book, How To Be Knotty: The Essential Guide to Modern Rope Bondage.

Honestly, I bought most of those other books as a photographer, out of sheer curiosity into the history and practice of Shibari. I was just looking to do some decorative ties on my beautiful lady and take pretty pictures. I kind of expected the same with this book. WRONG. Nope. This is NOT THOSE BOOKS. This book is really fucking serious and superbly thought out. It's not a quick rundown of anything. In fact, I think the ties don't even start until at least near the middle of the book. Morpheous makes it clear that this is NOT beginner level rope bondage and he assumes you've read his (and others') beginner level rope bondage. However, he includes pages and pages of beginner level mental prep for what lies ahead.

Safety, safety, safety. He warns you to not base your ties on what you may have seen in porn. That's a team of professionals, working on a closed set, to achieve that picture or video. It's all make-believe. It will most likely be uncomfortable for you, your sub, or both of you. It may also be dangerous! Don't do it. He mentions you can do this on a budget, or that the sky is the limit when it comes to gear; safety is the thing to keep in the forefront of your mind when doing this stuff! With all of that in mind, let's explore the pages of this instructional book.

[INSERT_AD]

Overview: Morpheous takes us on a journey that must be thought out and planned from beginning to end. The act of tying someone up for their pleasure, yours, or both, is not something you jump into without a definitive plan. Again, this is not rope tying 101. If you are not familiar with the difference between a slip-knot and a half-hitch, you aren't ready for this book! Download some Boy Scout manuals or naval instructional videos and learn that. The ties presented in this book run the gamut from Pretty and Fairly Harmless, to Hold Onto Your Wits And Maintain Communication. No, there's no suspension of people by their hair alone - or dangling people upside down by their ankles. However, these ties can definitely steer your creativity in that direction. Morpheous makes it clear that that is the whole idea - to release your inner creativity through intermediate-level rope tying of a consenting submissive.

Even though this book is not geared towards beginners in bondage, Morpheous extensively covers different types of rope and how to prep them, treat them, and care for them. He also mentions suppliers that you may want to look into at the end.

Chapters Included:

• Foreword by Tera Patrick
• Preface by Holly
• Introduction: For the Love of Rope

1. Beyond The Beginnings
2. Safety, Safety and Still More Safety
3. Intermediate Equipment
4. Binds for Sex, Binds for Art and My Modern Fusion Style
5. Easy Intermediate Ties
6. Medium Intermediate Ties
7. Difficult Intermediate Ties
8. Becoming a Bona Fide Rope Bondage Obsessive

• Glossary
• Resources
• Acknowledgements
• About the Author

What I Thought: Morpheous presents a well thought out book that is written in a very fluid manner. It is definitely wordier than the other bondage books on my shelf but since it is geared toward non-beginners, it really needs to be. The amount of page space devoted to safety (mental and physical) is actually quite reassuring that this wasn't written by some hack that owns some pretty ropes!

The photography by world-renowned Holly Randall is nothing short of astounding and features some smoking hot models all tied up with beautiful ropes.

Unfortunately, due to some serious family matters that went down during my review of this book, I was not able to try out any of the ties to see how easy they were to follow. As mentioned over and over in these pages; you must have a clear headspace when binding people and that just wasn't going to happen this go-around for me. When things settle down here, I'll revisit that aspect and update this!

With that said, the instructions seem very clear and concise with plenty of matching photographs to help you understand what's being done. As Morpheous states early on in the book; he's not going to be covering simple knot formations that you should already be familiar with so you'll want to brush up on your basics.

My Recommendation? Doesn't get much better than this if you are looking to take your rope bondage skills to the next level! If you buy one intermediate rope bondage book this year, make it this one! XCritic Pick. You can learn more at www.lordmorpheous.com There are a few bondage workshops coming up in August. You can check him out live at one of those. Check his website for locations and times.