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"Will of the Alpha" is a collection of furry short stories (with two poetic interludes) focused around BDSM. The stories are arranged in increasing order of intensity: the first stories are almost vanilla in their approach, but the last few pull no punches with their whips and chains.

Two questions deserve to be answered right off the back: Is this collection a worth-while buy for readers interested in furry BDSM? And is it still a worth-while buy for readers with minimal interest in BDSM?

To the first question, the answer is a very strong yes. Will of the Alpha includes a large variety of kinks, positions, and even orientations. (The stories prefer gay relationships over straight ones, although just barely. Two stories feature a bisexual male with both genders, and one story features a lesbian couple) All the stories in this collection have been edited to a fine polish; there is hardly an out-of-place scene or sentence left in the entire collection, and the result is a high-quality book that fully delivers on the promise of kinky, furry literature. I cannot think off-hand of another book focused on stories of furry BDSM currently in print: editors Rechan and Kandrel could have lazily published whatever they could drag together to pique the curiosity of the more leathery side of furry culture, but it's clear that they, and the authors, were determined to put their best foot forward and present a fine product.

To the second question, the answer is far more dependent on the reader. If a prospective buyer thinks they might be turned off by anything more serious than the leashes and muzzles presented on the cover, then clearly this is not the book for them. If a prospective buyer has no particular interest in BDSM, but doesn't mind it's presence either, then they may find some unexpected treats in Will of the Alpha; some of the stories do read like straight-up BDSM smut, but a host of others use BDSM to explore interesting new characters, plots, and settings and could easily be enjoyed by this buyer.

This slight inconsistency in thematic tone is the only major fault I can find in "Will of the Alpha," and it does not begin to make me reconsider my purchase. Like the traditional erotica story arc of "Boy meets girl. Boy fucks girl. The end." some stories in Will of the Alpha follow the story arc of "Sub meets dom. Sub gets fucked by dom. The end." That's ok every now and then, but it occurs just a little bit more than I would have liked to have seen.

"Will of the Alpha" begins with Kandrels "Savage Toys." This tale draws its setting not from steamy leather-clubs or dank dungeons, but instead from the days of colonialism, when the deep jungles of Africa were seen as wild, untamed, savage, and perhaps a bit kinky too. The unexpected setting for this story is accompanied by a light-hearted tone; the story borders just enough on being tongue-in-cheek to make it a quick, enjoyable read, and a fitting introduction to the stories beyond.

If "Savage Toys" wants to break the standards of BDSM erotica, then Ianus J. Wolf's "The New Toy" relishes in them. In "The New Toy," everything is by the book: we have a submissive at a club, we have a meeting with a Master and Mistress with their new rules of behavior, we have hot sex, and we have cuddle-time afterwards. It would be crass to label this story formulaic, for while it does keep to the formula, it excels at using the formula to great effect. "The New Toy" effectively leads the reader into the kinkier world of BDSM along with its protagonist, learning as he learns what is expected and what will be forthcoming. The story also keeps its characters from falling into stereotypes; they come off the page as sweet, friendly, loving individuals, and the last page of the story only cements their personalities in all the better.

"The New Toy" is followed by Mangi's "Furlough," and it appears to suffer somewhat for its placement. "Furlough," on its own, is a fine story with only one flaw that affected me and which may not even be an issue for anyone else: midway through the story (and again near the end), the perspective shifts very suddenly and gives us a new protagonist with a new setting. It feels as though an entirely different story begins. Though the outer story provides some context as to what happens, the inner story doesn't even reference the outer story and in so doing, leaves me feeling jerked around, having to reinvest myself in the characters. On its own, again, this would not be a major issue, but it's placed in the book directly alongside "The New Toy" and "Breaking in," both of which it shares some plot and storyline elements with and neither of which yanked me out of the story in the same way. As a result, they cast an unintentional shadow onto Mangi's work.

Sparf's "Breaking In" and Rechan's "Missed" deserve to be considered together, as they both seem more intent than even "Savage Toys" to break with convention. "Breaking In" is the only story to feature a switch protagonist, "Missed" (along with "Infinite Loop") the only to feature a dominant protagonist; "Breaking In" is one of only two bisexual stories, "Missed" is the only lesbian story. Both stories did a wonderful job of subverting my expectations as a reader to great effect. "Breaking In" starts with a scene very similar to that of "Furlough," and since the latter's opening scene served primarily as impetus to drive the main character's action forward, I expected "Breaking In" to do the same; then the middle of the story hits and we learn that far more interesting things are afoot. I wish "Breaking In" had been longer, if only to give me more time to appreciate the development of its characters. "Missed," too, plays with its reader's expectations; this story (the shortest in the book), in fact, doesn't have a sex scene at all. But "Missed" makes that very expectation of sex in both the reader's and the character's mind be a powerful emotional hook leading into a bittersweet ending. Both "Breaking In" and "Missed" stand out as my favorites in the collection.

And they are followed by a story that almost stood head and shoulders above them, Ashe's "Dinner Theatre." Ashe, in just a few pages, manages to hook me into caring about a committed, loving, and very hot couple, while building up a great level of tension. The stakes in this story are set high; if things go wrong, it could wreck the characters' lives. The story keeps building itself up higher, and the action races up towards its exciting climax (which does not actually involve any of the characters actually climaxing), but then... it stumbles. The resolution wraps up so nicely and neatly that I almost stopped, set the book down, and said, "Really? Come on. There's no way that would actually happen." The final scene of the story returns the focus back to the main characters and their very passionate relationship, bringing back some of the warmth to this story that the scene prior nabbed away. Still, "Dinner Theatre" is a great story and left me eager for more from the author.

"Memories," by Tarl "Voice" Hoch, marks the turn to the deeper, darker side of BDSM; the sex itself is not overly kinky, but here the relationship between the binder and the bound starts to move in a more objectifying direction. This story is difficult to review properly without spoiling a big part of the story; suffice it to say, having read it once, I want to read it again and pick up on nuances I missed the first time, especially to see if I can tell which story points were planned in advance and which occured in the heat of the moment. A good story and easily worth at least two reads.

Like "Memories," Nathan Cowan's "Infinite Loop" needs more than one reading to catch all the subtlties. "Infinite Loop" is set in the same world as his Foxforce novels. Unfortunately, if the reader has not been exposed to his novels before and wants to read them after "Infinite Loop," this short does spoil a few major plot points in all three current novels. Conversely, if the reader has already read Cowan's novels, then this story is a definite treat, revealing some behind-the-scenes action and motivations: I went through the opening scenes with eyes wide and jaw on the floor. "Infinite Loop" lingers perhaps a bit too long on some of the events of the novels (in its description of the Blue Diamond tamers for instance), but as a whole, it plays to the strengths of the story and its author. We are being told more than just a story; we are catching a glimpse of a wide, varied, and interesting world beyond the few characters and setting given here. On top of that, the sex is good, the relationship between the dominant and submissive is well-portrayed - if a bit unsettling - and the ending will once again have you wanting to read through it all a second time. (I will caution the reader not to peek ahead on this story. The illustration on the last page reveals the twist at the end.)

While Whyte Yote's "The Leather's Always Blacker" is the second to last story in "Will of the Alpha," it struck me as being the most extreme, as far as kink goes. Bill, the dominant of this story, dropkicks the reader and the story into high gear a few pages in: if Walton's attitude in "Infinite Loop" sent shivers up the reader's spine, then Bill in this story may inspire curling up in the corner. After the cages and strict obedience that make up much of the story's first two acts, the story falls into a minor lull near the end. The protagonist has come more to terms with the unexpectedly strong world of kink he has found himself in, and without his curiosity and confusion to pull the story forward, the final scenes lose a bit of their impact. Despite the erotic puppy play foreshadowed on the first page, the actual event did not carry as much impact as I would have liked. Part of this may be that due to the presence of Tenso, an otherwise secondary character, whose relationship with Bill seemed more interesting than the main character's own predicament; it makes me hope for another story showing more about Tenso's experiences.

"Attachments," by H.A. Kirsch, rounds out the end of the book, in the spot reserved for the kinkiest of stories in a very kinky collection. Nevertheless, I found the story not as intense as the two stories that preceded it. "Attachments" earns its place at the end of the book, in my mind, due to the unique nature of the story's main character, which may squick some readers. I read the beginning of the story in a somewhat detached fashion, not quite getting into the kink myself, but finding Kirsch's description, characterization, and sci-fi extrapolation of the what-ifs strong enough to carry me forward. The latter part of the story then transitions to well-written pony play and ends on a satisfying note.

In addition to the many stories present, Elijah Lapso contributed two one-page poems. Neither stood out strongly in my memory as little more than playful verse, but editorially, they feel like they belong right where they are, adding some pause and breathing room to the collection's larger stories.

All in all, "Will of the Alpha" is a treat for readers looking for some high-quality BDSM-themed stories and a worthwhile purchase.